All in your Arsenal
by JamRax
Summary: Join a group of teens forced into life changing mission against terrorist, war criminals, superhumans and genetically modified creatures called PROTOTYPES in a brutal fight for humanity. This is rated M for a reason. Chase alone is like 50% of the story's swear factor. There is gore and heavy violence. Sexually explicit themes and crude humor so...enjoy!
1. Cold Wind, White Flash

Chapter 1

(CHASE'S POV)

I was pissed and felt bitter as shit. I stuffed my hands into my red hoodie. It was late December so naturally it would be cold as hell outside. I could see my goddamn breath for Christ sake. I was walking back to my uncle's home in this shitty ass neighborhood filled with thieves, gangsters, drug addicts and other all around assholes.

"Jesus FUCK!" My stupid ass wore a thin ass hoodie with no gloves. My hands were damn near blue and I couldn't even feel my fingers. I hate winter, I truly do.

I turned a corner and bumped into some dickheaded kid holding something in his hand. He dropped the object and I saw it was a weird ass black and gold box.

"FUCKIN HELL DUDE!" He seemed kinda pissed and I felt bad at first...but then I decided to screw with'em.

"WOAH! Calm it down ya little prick, it was a goddamn accident."

"YOU COULD'VE BROKE MY…" He seemed kinda distant for a second then he just took off screaming "YA BITCH SLAVE!!!"

"Fuckin weirdo…" I muttered under my breath.

I finally got to my uncle's home. It was dark as hell out and he was probably asleep. He usually sleeps at this hour.

I walked up to my room and plopped myself on my bed. My phone started to ring so I grabbed it out my pocket to check who it was.

"Seriously Milton?" To my not so surprise, my childhood friend Milton called me up. He hates being called Milton so everyone calls him Midnight. He made EVERYONE call him that or he made it a mission to kick your ass.

"What are you calling me for at 11:45 at night man!" He could tell I was kinda pissed. I always get pissed at night, I truly do.

"You seemed...pretty...cold earlier...you good bro..?" He asked me this while he was panting deeply. I heard a faint noise in the background. It sounded like a small shriek of a girl.

"Man you could at least call me up when you're not slashin up some goddamn hookers." Midnight is pretty much set for life in terms of cash. He's a rich kid that gets what he wants, including all the pussy he can handle...well almost all…

"Answer...my...question." The fucker was outta breath.

"Look I'ma keep it real witcha mate, schools got me stressed, my fuckin girl is an annoying BITCH, and because of your whack ass stunt, the whole school wants me crucified and left to rot on godda-"

"HOOOOLLLYY FUUUUUCCK!!!" He and his latest piece of ass damn near rapped my ears out of commission when they cut me off.

"Dude fuck this! I'm going to sleep"

"Chase wait ho-" I hung up and tossed my phone somewhere. Tomorrow is Thursday which meant I had school again. Next week was Christmas though so no school. To bad Christmas is my most hated day of the year, it truly is.

I woke up in my room still in yesterday's clothes. I got up and went to go take a shower. I still didn't hear anything from my uncle when I got out the bathroom.

"For shit sake." I muttered.

I went to my room and threw on some black jeans, my white air force ones, a white tank top and my mother's black cross pendant. I looked in the mirror to see myself.

"Sup playboy!" I said to myself and I chuckled. I was in good shape, pretty toned but I wasn't like a fucking Hercules or anything, just toned.

I went downstairs for a quick bite to eat. I usually don't eat but it was pretty early. The nut ass sun wasn't even up yet. I saw a note on the kitchen counter and it said,

Dear Nephew,

I'm away on business so I won't be home for a little while. There's six hundred dollars for you in my drawer. Spend it wise kid. I'll see ya soon.

Your super sexy hot uncle Mikey.

P.S. Don't touch the white box in the drawer next to the six hundred dollars.

Mikey out.

"..." He left me six hundred dollars. He barely gives me ten for lunch money. He must've went outta state. Shit I ain't complaining. I love my uncle and all but he's kind of a jackass.

"Fuck it let me go grab the cash."

I walked in his room. I rarely go in there. It smells like cheap-ass cologne and there are clothes all over the place.

I went to the drawer and looked inside. I saw the six hundred dollars and grabbed it. I turned to leave but then that white box started to glow. I wanted to go leave but my dumbass curiosity got the best of me and as I went to grab it everything went white.


	2. Rated R

Chapter 2

(R'S POV)

My name is Rodman Damin. But my friends just call me Rod the God...ok everyone just calls me R to be honest. Man that blonde bastard almost made me drop my Arsenal. I swear he would've faced my full on furry! I can't afford to lose my Arsenal because if I do, my ass is cooked.

I hate school. It's like a videogame that is made to screw with you over and over and over again. The main thing I hate about school is the people. BULLIES SUCK ASS! I get picked on just because I'm into anime, collecting trading cards, and read a lot of manga. Screw them. If only they knew that I could killed them with Arsenal in about one third of a second. Guys are jerks to me, the girls find me awkward and my only friend is my cat Chipper. Yeah...did I mention that I hate school.

I pack my bags and get ready to head out when my mother calls me.

"Rodman are you sure you don't want to eat something for breakfast?"

She knew I hated school because of my bully issue, and my lack of friends, if only she knew about Arsenal...

"No uh, I'm good Ma." I try to get to school early so that nobody notices me. It avoids conflict and gives me time to finish my manga.

"Are you sure? You rarely eat anything ever since you started High school." She said with a tinge a sadness in her tired eyes.

I hated seeing her worry. Ever since my "father" walked out on us, my mother has been working herself to death. It kills me to see her that way. It pains me even more knowing that I can't tell my secret about Arsenal.

"Uh, yeah Ma. I'm fine. I promise." I quickly snagged an apple from our fruit basket and hugged her goodbye. Say what you will about me, but if you don't love your mom, then your a dick!

I ran off into the cold December morning. The sun wasn't even up yet and it was dark as crap. I ran full sprint for about a mile until-

SMACK!!!

I collided with that blue eyed blonde douchebag AGAIN!

"FUCKING FUCK MAN!" He seem pissed but then he stared at me like I was God.

"YOU!? Hey wait I gotta ask you something kid!" He shouted in alarm.

"No way piss off shit munch!" I got up and started to haul ass to school.

I ran for like three blocks and when I looked back I saw him sprinting at me.

"WAIT UP YOU LITTLE FUCK!" Oh yeah he was real pissed for some reason.

I hopped like eight gates and yet he was still on my trail. I was nearing my limit too.

"Damn it all." I muttered exhausted.

I was slowing down and he must've know because he hit some track star type of shit and caught up to me.

"LISTEN UP KID!" He was still pretty pissed…

"What do you know about this weird ass box. The damn thing keeps glowing and saying my goddamn name. It's fuckin with me heavy man!" He showed me his glowing box and boy did I almost lose my shit. The bastard had an Arsenal for Christ sake!

"But... but how did you...WHERE DID YOU GET THAT?!" I shouted in disbelief.

"Man I don't know, shit I found it in my-" I cut him off with a punch to the solar plexus. He had dropped to his knees and held himself.

"WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK!!!" He went to get up but I swiftly grabbed him by the collar and pinned him to the wall. I stared at him with distrust in my eyes.

"I'll ask again. WHERE DID YOU FIND THAT ARSENAL!" He held a look of confusion.

"The fucks an Arsenal?!" He asked.

"Don't you bullshit me dude. Answer my question!" I tightened my grip losing patience. "Tell me or I swear I'll kill you man."

"Fuck off! I was gonna tell you it's my uncle's." I tried to find any signs of lying in his voice but he seemed to be telling the truth.

I slowly eased my grip but didn't break my gaze on him.

"Geez ya little fucker relax." He straightened himself out.

"What you have in your possession is called the Arsenal. It's pretty much a one man armory that is designed to fit the physique and skill level of the the user."

"Say WHAT!" He shouted.

I sighed with frustration but then continued. "In that four inch box is enough heat to take on a small army alone."

"HOLY SHIT DU-"

"WOULD YOU KINDLY SHUT THE HELL UP" I shouted angrily. This guy was a special type of stupid.

"Watch closely Señor Dickhead, cause I'm going to blow your freakin mind." I whipped out my black and gold Arsenal and pressed the middle button. Then I tossed it right above me. In a flash of golden light I was in my combat attire. My black lightweight bodysuit covered my body. Gold pulsating through the trim of it. My golden power gauntlets and boots shining with the rising sun. My visor covering my crimson eyes. My black cloak flowing in the winter wind. Oh yeah, I was badass and I knew it too. The blonde bastard stared in shock of my transformation.

"What in THE FUCK!" He shouted in disbelief.

I smirked with pride and content...until I realised something very problematic. I WAS RUNNING LATE FOR SCHOOL!

"Holy crap! I'm gonna be late!" I shouted. "Catch ya around dick suck!" I said as I vanished into thin air.

(CHASE'S POV)

"DUDE! WHAT IN THE ACTUAL FUCK IS HAPPENING!!!"


	3. The Trials In Life

Chapter 3

(CHASE'S POV)

"Short ass, red eyed, scrawny ass son of a bitch." I couldn't tell if I was more pissed or more shocked. I was mad as hell that I was late to school, but I was shocked to find out that this nut ass box was my own personal weapons cache.

"Well, how the fuck do you work?" I asked as I tapped on it.

It glowed white again then started to speak.

"Are you in need of Arsenal?" It asked in a strong Australian voice.

"Uh...yes?" I spoke with clear uncertainty. This was just too fuckin weird.

"Tap on the activation button." There was only one button on the goddamn thing, it must've thought I was fuckin retarded or some shit like that.

"Uh, sure." I pressed my thumb to the button and the box glowed.

Then once again I saw nothing but white.

"OK! WHAT THE FUCK!" I shouted.

I was in a small white room that had a weird ass vibe to it.

"LET THE TRIAL BEGIN!" That same Australian voice said.

"Hold the fuck u-" Suddenly, five white droids came up from the floor. Then two revolvers materialized in my hands.

"For shit sake." I pointed both guns at the droids in defense and began to unload shot for shot. As one charged for me, I back flipped with agility I never knew I had, and tapped two good shots in the head of the thing.

"Yeah fuck you bitch!" I rolled to my right as one swung for me and unleashed a flurry of bullets into it's body. Both revolvers held up to eight shots each so I had to reload after my last stunt. Two were charging at me, so I tossed one gun god knows how high, as I emptied the used bullet casings of the other gun. ~Cling~

I then dug into my pocket and grabbed a handful of bullets...that I had for some reason. The other gun began to descend so I had to move fast. I chucked sixteen bullets up into the air. I caught my other gun, popped the chamber, emptied the used casings, and lept into the air.

I did a one eighty degree turn with both guns out and caught all sixteen bullets within both guns. I then whipped both chambers closed with a flick of my wrist and took aim still in the air.

~Bang!~

~Bang!~

~Bang!~

I landed with ease on the smooth white floor. As I walked pass the twitching droids, they began to fall one by one.

"Yeah! That's how we do in this mothafucka!" The guns vanished from my hands as the voice reappeared.

"CHASE HAWTHORNE! YOU HAVE COMPLETED THE TRIAL FOR THE ARSENAL. TRANSPORTING YOU BACK TO EARTH."

"Wait that's it? I don't get to keep the guns, or get some kickass suit, or a-" With a flash of light I was back to the some damned spot I was before. I took the box out of my pocket and it said "inactive", for shit sake.

I was extremely late for school but I didn't really give a shit. I was just more concerned about this whole Arsenal thing.

Bell Bridge High School, a place of fuck shit and annoying dickheads.

It was a "place for the gifted" but they really only meant that big shot Sonna Eclipse, daughter of the wealthiest man in probably the world, Mr. Eclipse of Eclipse Enterprises, goes to this wack ass school.

Sonna...boy was she something. She's an only child of the guy that founded the world's most expensive project, the "Recoil Project" and has got to be top ten smartest people in America. I'm not kidding. Not to mention she's freakin hot as the devil's nut sack, but even if you tried to get some of that sweet ass, she'd kick your ass like twenty times over. I'm not kidding. She even intimidates Midnight. Remember when I said he could pull almost any chick he wanted, yeah Sonna was the exception. But damn did she look good and she knew it too. Too bad though. I might've tried myself if I wasn't a prime enemy of the school.

As I was in the class I immediately get all the looks. All except Sonna and some short guy in the back reading "Boku no Hero Academia."

The fuck is that anyway.

That teacher scoffed at me. She gets pretty pissed at me when I'm late. I'm usually late to first block, I truly am.

"Mr.Hawthorne…" She said with disgust. What a bitch right. "Take your seat ASAP!" She stopped bothering to give me detention for lateness. I never came and it's not like they stopped me from coming late again.

"Sure thing Mrs. L." I said with a sarcastic ass smile.

She sighed and continued...whatever the hell she started teaching. I honestly just stopped giving a shit ya know.

I looked around subtly and I could tell I was getting looks. Sonna was sitting to the right of me. We sat in the middle of the class. Yay me…

I glanced at her for a moment. She was sketching some weird looking thing. It was a pretty cool drawing, don't get it twisted, just weird looking. She titled it "Zeyco". The fucks a Zeyco.

I'm pretty sure she caught me staring because she stopped and said to me "Can I help you with something?" Her face was red with embarrassment and or anger for being watched. I really didn't want to get my ass kicked so I quickly tried to apologize for staring.

"Shit my bad your sketch was just so-"

~RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNGGGGGG!!!~

Well fuck...the bell already. She got up and left pretty fast.

I sigh with both relief and frustration. I get ready to go until I see that same goddamn kid again. He was still reading his backwards comic book as he walked.

I stealthily followed him. He was fast and at a good distance. He went for a sip of water at the fountain until a group of guys my age started to surround him.

(R'S POV)

Darn! Not now. The same five assholes that mess with me every day are once again here to bug me.

"Hey guys it's little old Shortcake!" They like to make fun of my height, Kale(the fatass) took the most joy in it. "Whatcha reading today Shortcake?" He was staring at my Boku no Hero manga.

"None of your business fatboy!" I shouted.

"The fuck did you say Shortcake." He then snatched the book from me and then looked at it.

"Why is it backwards?" He asked stupidly.

"It's meant to be like that. It's how Japan does it."

"Oh really now. How interesting…" He opened the book and I was praying that he'd just give it back.

He just kept flipping pages until-

~RIIIIIIIIIPPPP!~

One by one pages slowly fell to the floor and they all just sat there laughing there ass off. I was paralyzed and for a moment, I saw red.

For so long I put up with this so that my secret about Arsenal wouldn't be revealed to the world...but I felt as though I was losing myself. I dropped to my knees and gripped my black messy locks and yelled at the top of my lungs.

"STOP YOU ASSHOLES!!!" People walking past were just staring as these idiots destroy my book.

"HE SAID STOOOOOP!!!" I was hesitantly reaching into my pants pocket for Arsenal when I saw Kale get decked straight across his chin. I froze as I looked up in shock.

Blonde hair, bloody knuckles, and the most rage induced, hate filled murderous death glare I have ever seen from blue eyes.


	4. Secrets to Keep

Chapter 4

(CHASE'S POV)

Everything was blurry for a split second and I wasn't even thinking when I did what I did. My muscles were still tense as hell, the tip of my knuckles felt wet and I was shaking with unknown rage.

I looked beside me and saw a kid with black hair kneeling on the ground, his strange red eyes were wide looking at me. It was the kid with that Arsenal thing that I had. He was shocked, the people from all around the school looked at me and the kid, then to the fat son of a bitch sprawled out on the ground. His dickeating friends all confused and stunned. A moment of silence for about thirty seconds until…

"HOLY SHIT! CHASE KNOCKED OUT KALE!" Some guy yelled.

The whole area went frantic. People with their phones out tweeting and sharing the goddamn thing. If there is one thing I hate, it's people who just sit there and record fights, especially when most of them can't fight for shit. I'm not much of a fighter, but I'll kick an ass if I have to.

I ignored the people's constant shouting and gossiping, and the hollow ass threats of Kale's lackeys. Fuck them.

I went to the kid and asked if he was ok.

"…" He didn't respond.

I sighed as I saw the principle walk to the scene. His name was Mr. Rush and trust me, he's one strict son of a bitch. He'll get you expelled for pissing yourself even though your teacher wouldn't let you use the bathroom. He's a legitimate dick.

He walked through the crowd with authority as if he was the goddamn king of earth. The bastard. He had a slim grey suit, his grey hair combed neatly to the side, his stupid ass pencil mustache sitting on top of his chapped lips. Yeah...fuck this guy. He was like sixty something still working as a principle, this guy needs to get himself laid.

He walked up to me and shook his old ass head.

"Chase Hawthorne, to my office." Seriously though, FUCK this guy.

"As for you lot!" He said to the still growing crowd. "To block two. NOW!"

The crowd dispersed in like three seconds. Nobody had the balls to stick it to the principle.

-45 minutes later-

I swear the only person that the Rush hates more than me is Kale because had it been anyone else I fucked up like that, I'd of been in cuffs right now, but Kale got a two day suspension for his harassment and I got a demerit. Ain't that some shit. I was sent to lunch and I got once again, looked at like I was the mother fuckin devil. Fuck my life.

I took my seat in my usual spot. At my table was Karren Xeniog, Midnight and his girl. He always brought his girls with him. Karren was a tough as chick that was a good friend of mine. She was cool with Midnight but he tends to piss her off. Her temper is almost as bad as Midnight's. While Midnight was sucking face with this week's hooker, Karren was glaring daggers at Sonna from across the cafeteria.

"Ya know if you keep glaring like that your face will get stuck." I said.

"Piss off Chase. I just can't stand the bitch is all." Karren hates Sonna due to the fact that Sonna's dad fired her dad, and now Karren family is broke as hell. Plus the fact that Sonna one ups here in like everything and BAM! You got yourself a vengeful grudge. "Just look at her eating like the goddamn princess she is."

"Yeah she's going off on that sandwich." I remarked sarcastically as I stared at Sonna. Then I noticed that she sat with the kid I keep seeing. "Uh, I'll be back…"

"Whatever, fuck off already." I walked to the table pretty boldly if I might add.

They seemed to be having a conversation, but it was cut short when the kid saw me. Sonna looked up from their conversation at me, then glared.

"What is it!" She demanded more than asked. Guess she's still pissed.

"Sorry but I got questions for your little associate." The kid looked confused.

I pulled out my Arsenal and Sonna damn near choked on her food.

"Listen I still don't really get this th-"

"How did you get that!" Sonna exclaimed. Her bright red eyes wide at the box.

"Relax Sonna, he didn't steal it. It's his." The kid quickly said.

"Well actually, it's my uncle's." I corrected.

"Then why were you able to take the trial?" Asked the kid in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Trial..? WAIT! How'd you know…" Then Sonna spoke.

"All holders of an Arsenal are notified when a new holder is deemed "certified" to use one. R, why didn't you tell me it was him?!"

"Uh...I dunno. I didn't really give a shit at the time." He said with a cheeky ass smile.

"So your name is R?" Weird ass name.

"No ya shit-stain. The names Rodman. R for short."

"Right...anyway, so how does it work?" I asked. Staring at the box.

"You may have passed your trial, but you have to be accepted by the Director in order to have full access to the Arsenal." He stated with his chin high. Little bastard…

"Who and or what is the goddamn Director?"

"Oh he's our boss-"

~SMACK!~

"OOOOOWWW!!!" Sonna straight slapped the fuck outta the little bastard, but now I was curious.

"Your...boss? Boss of what?" I asked.

"None of your business!" She harshly said.

"The hell are you guys secret agents or something?"

"Yes." R answered.

~SMACK!~

"DAAAAMN!!!" R had a tear in his eyes.

"Holy shit dude! Agents! I want in on-"

"No way are you joining!" Sonna cut me off.

"But WHY?!" R and I asked.

"We don't need you!"

"But Sonna he defended me earlier, he can throw a bitchin right cross, I could teach him the ways of ROD the GOOOOOOD!!!" R shouted valiantly.

"No R."

"Please! He could even help you with your lack of se-" She quickly started to strangle R, her face was red with embarrassment and anger yet again.

"R YOU STUPID, DIRTY, PERVERTED, LITTLE JACKASS!!!"

I sweatdropped and cleared my throat. They paused their antics and looked at me.

"I swear I won't say shit about this, just let me join. Please!

"...fine meet me and R after school in the parking lot. DON'T BE LATE."

For a pretty ass nerdy chick, she gave me hella chills…

"After school. Got it!" The bell rang so it was time for fourth period.


	5. The Man In The White Coat

Chapter 5

(MIDNIGHT'S POV)

Chase has been acting real weird. One minute he's chillin with me, the next, he's over there actually TALKING to Sonna. THE Sonna Eclipse.

I don't know how he did it but he's actually talking to her and some small fry. I should make a mental note to ask him.

The chick I was with was pretty good but I had to drop her. She was getting too attached. To be real with ya, Sonna has been my main target for like three years. She is just always so reclusive though, but now she's talking to my best friend.

School was over and I went to go talk to Chase. He was in the parking lot with Sonna and pipsqueak.

"Hey Chase!" I yelled to him. He looked back at me in shock as he vanished.

(R'S POV)

I ninja vanished us to the HQ with a press of a button. Chase had a look of shock for a moment but he shook it off. I loved HQ, it made me feel like I was apart of the ANBU in Naruto. I loved it!

"R, go get the link to the Director set up." Sonna said to me.

"I'm on it!" I left to go set up the comm-link. It took me some time to get things started but I eventually got it done.

"We're good to go." I told them. When I turned to them they were talking about something.

"HEY WOULD YOU TWO C'MON!!!" I shouted

I turned the linked on the Director popped up on the screen. His face was pale and stoic, his brown hair slicked back, green eyes piercing into all three of us. Chase looked like he was gonna pee himself.

"Why was I called this time Agent R?" He said in his smooth yet assertive voice.

"Uh...we got a new recruit sir." I said pointing to a wide eyed Chase.

"..." Sonna nudged him.

"Oh, uh yeah I'm-"

"APPROVED!" Director stated bluntly. "Director out."

"...just like that..?" Chase asked. Just then, his Arsenal began to glow.

"HOLY SHIIIIIIIIIIIT!!!" Chase was engulfed in a white light.

When the light faded he stood there in his battle attire. He had a white trench coat that went to his knees. A pair of white goggles covered his icy blue eyes. He had a bullet proof plated shirt on and black cargo pants held up by his black utility belt, black gloves and white combat boots. On his back was the AOF insignia. He was looking pretty badass if I say so myself.

He was admiring himself in a mirror. I noticed Sonna staring at him kinda funny and I chuckled.

"Man I look tough as shit." He did some swift punches and kicks. "Man, I wanna test this shit out asap!"

"Hmm…" I was in deep thought. "Why not do some combat training with me Chase?"

"You sure? I don't wanna kick your ass kid." I smirked.

"Oh don't worry about little old me. I'll be fine." I'm totally gonna kick his ass.

"Well alright! Let's do it!" He shouted.

We walked down to the training chambers. I loaded up the forest environment (that's my favorite) for us to fight in.

We stepped inside and the doors shut. The forest area was surrounding us and I was struggling to contain my excitement. I love to use Arsenal but I rarely get to really test it out. Chase better be ready.

I looked at him and said good luck before I ninja vanished.

(SONNA'S POV)

I'm starting to feel bad for Chase now. R can be a bit over the top when he's training. The fact that he picked the forest environment, shows that he's willing to have the advantage. Good luck Chase.


	6. Jerk VS Jackass

Chapter 6

(CHASE'S POV)

The little fucker vanished…

In this big ass forest…

With no trace of him whatsoever…

"FUUUUUUUUUUUCK!!!" I yelled.

I heard shifting from within the trees. I looked all over the goddamn place but couldn't see him when I heard ~BANG!~

I lept up onto a branch. I heard the faint sounds of reloading.

"He's probably snipping me…" I said to myself.

I brought out my dual Ruger GP100s and began to light up one of the tree tops. Then to my dismay, I was dropped hard by a swift double leg sweep. I see him looming over me with that chump ass smirk. Fuck him. Kicked myself up and put up my fists in orthodox stance. He got into a taekwondo stance and we both stared at each other. I then charge at him only to be hit with a bone breaking elbow to my temple. I staggered for a bit. He then front flipped into the air and delivered a nasty axe kick to my dome. My face colliding with the ground. The piece of shit left a nasty ass gash on my forehead. While I was crawling to get to my feet, the fucker quickly tackled me into a goddamn tree.

"Havin fun yet, cause I'm still not trying." He said with a cocky ass smirk.

I did a push kick to get him off of me but he reacted way too quickly. He had my leg in his grasp and swung me around like I was his fucking size.

When he let go I was tossed into the a tree. The force of the throw sent me right through the damn thing. I slowly got up and tried to locate him.

~BANG!~

This time when he shot me, it was in the arm. Blood dripping from my wound, covering my white trench coat.

"Shit. Shit. Shit!" I muttered angrily. "I thought we were just training. He's gonna kill me!"

I hid behind another tree in order to gain my bearings, but once again, he found me and in one quick slice, he chopped the sixty foot tree in two. He looked at me with a fat ass smile holding a black and gold scythe. Fuck my life.

He swung at me and I had to do my best to avoid losing my fucking head.

He went for another overhead swing so I sidestepped it. His scythe was jammed in the floor so as he was trying to pry it out, I sent a devastating roundhouse kick to his ribs. I went to got for a follow up jab-cross combination, but he pointed two Mp5's at me with another smirk.

"Gotcha again buddy." He said taunting me. The bastard.

"How are you calling all of those weapons?" All I could get were my dual Rugers.

"Their in my Arsenal. I can call one at any time." He then jumped up high as hell and shouted "YOU BETTER START RUNNING!"

He started to rain down bullets from his dual smgs.

I was sprinting like a fucking madman through the woods away from the storm of bullets.

"FUCK!" I took immediate cover.

I had to call out something. My revolvers are strong as hell but take like six fucking years to reload.

"C'mon, I need something…" I felt something materialize on my back. It was my white katana. I was able to unsheath the blade. It was long and sharp as shit. I've never held a sword before, but this just felt natural for some reason. Shit, I wasn't gonna complain. I needed a weapon, I got a weapon.

Suddenly my Arsenal started to talk again.

"UPLOADING NEURAL LINK!"

"The fuck does that mean?" I asked. Then once again I whited out.

(R'S POV)

I lit up the whole forest with my Mp5's. I guess I went overboard again. I hope I didn't kill the newbie…

It was way too quiet for my taste. I hopped from tree to tree looking for my target until I saw a bright white flash. I shielded my eyes from the blinding light. When I looked back, Chase was standing there with his goggles up and his eyes glowing white. He had his katana in his right hand. His bullet wound seemed healed.

"So he got desperate and did an Arsenal link." I chuckled. "Let's see what he can do now."

He stared up at me menacingly and said "Kid... I'm gonna FUCK YOU UP!"


	7. A Win, A loss, and Broken Bones

Chapter 7

(SONNA'S POV)

So Chase linked with Arsenal. I suppose he had no choice but to link up, R was toying with him the whole time. I took a closer look at R as he drew his daggers and glared.

I sighed in frustration. "R I swear you better watch it with those daggers." They we design to kill quickly. The daggers had a sharp, straight, pointed blade for easy stabbing capabilities. Add in the the neurotoxins within each blade and you have a weapon that will destroy a target from the inside out.

Chase, I hope you can handle yourself out there…

(CHASE'S POV)

"Kid...I'm gonna FUCK YOU UP!" I was mad. No fuck that. I was PISSED. You try getting your ass handed to you by some short prick and then tell me how it makes you feel.

"Hey Chase! Now that you're serious, how bout we get this going!" I'm gonna KILL him.

With the speed of a bullet, I appeared right in front of him. I slashed at him with my katana. He blocked with his daggers, but was pushed back pretty roughly.

He looked up at me with surprise. "Holy shit dude! You got str-"

~WHAAAAAMMM!!!~

I sent him a hard ass boot to the face and had him sliding on the grassy floor.

"FUCK UP AND FIGHT!" I yelled viciously.

R got up laughing. "This is turning out better than I hoped." Then he vashished.

~WHAAAAACK~

Faster than the eye could see, R hit me with a stiff ass uppercut. I was sent into the air.

"See if you can handle this BITCH!" R said psychotically.

He sent me crashing down with a mean mid air spin hook kick.

I landed so hard I made a crater in the floor. R landed next to me and gripped me by my hair, holding me to his face. He looked like a fucking psycho, he truly did.

He held one of his daggers to my throat. "R what the fuck..? You tryna ki-"

He roughly tossed me through yet another tree. Yep, my right arm felt broken in three different places. He walked up to me and said hauntingly "FUCK UP AND FIGHT!"

I gripped my sword tightly in my left hand.

"Fuck! My right arm is killing me."

R smirked and then vanished. Within a tenth of a second, a dagger was planted firmly in the center of my stomach. My pupils began to dilate and my vision was blurry. I dropped to my back and saw R come up to me grinning ear to ear. He grabbed my left leg and...

~CRRRRRRRAAAAAAACCCCKKK!!!~

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!" My yells echoed through the forest.

Something was wrong. R wasn't himself and he held a crazy look in his eyes as he continued to break my leg. I don't know what was in his dagger but I wasn't able to move.

~SNAAAP~

~CRUUUNCH~

~CRAAAAACKK~

The pain was unbearable. He dropped my leg and moved toward the other. He would've broken it too if Sonna hadn't knocked him unconscious with a neck chop. Thank god!

I saw her look of worry as I blacked out. All I could do was mumble a "Thank you" to her.


	8. The Duty of the AOF

Chapter 8

(SONNA'S POV)

I had carried both R and Chase to the infirmary. The AOF's specialized medic placed Chase inside of a healing chamber. He had suffered blood loss, constant head trauma, and broken limbs. To be blunt, he looked a mess. R on the other hand had been hooked up to a machine to monitor his mental state. I knew why he flew off the handle like that though. It's what happens every time he links up with his Arsenal. He only links when he's in trouble and he knows that he can't control himself when he does link.

I looked at them and sighed. Chase looked half dead in his "chamber".

...Chambers…

Every time I think of that word if think of that goddamn "Recoil Project" my dad funded.

...then I think of the Prototypes…

Then...I think of Zeyco…

-2 Hours later-

"...hey…"

"Hey princess!"

"Sonna…"

"SONNA GET ME THE HELL OUTTA HERE!!!" I heard Chase yell.

I unlocked the chamber door and he came out in nothing but his birthday suit. I looked away with my face heating up.

"Would you put on some clothes for Christ sake!" I yelled at him.

"I think I looked great!" He said with a half smirk.

I pivoted on my foot and planted a well place kick to his groin.

"FUCK!" He sank to his knees. "Ok, ok shit...can't take a fuckin joke."

As he was putting on clothes, R walked in rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Hey guys." He waved to us.

"YOU STAY THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME YOU LITTLE DEMONIC PIECE OF SHIT!!!" Chase yelled hysterically in just his jeans.

"What did I do?" R asked.

"You damn near killed me you tiny prick!"

"Oops, hehe...sorry bout that." R rubbed his head nervously.

"He stabs me and breaks my limbs and all he says is "oops". Chase says looking for a shirt.

"Oh quit being a baby." I say as I hand him a black t-shirt and a white button up. "Though in your defense, one of us should've warned you."

"Yeah yeah whatever…" We walked out into the lobby of the agency.

(CHASE'S POV)

Holy shit this place is huge. Agents were coming in from all over the place.

"Goddamn…" Needless to say, I was in awe.

R came up to me and said "Yo we gotta check out the hit list."

"Uh... yeah sure whatever..." I had to think about something for a moment…

"WAIT! HIT LIST?!" I shouted in disbelief.

"Uh...yeah...we are the AOF." R said.

"Yeah. We're the Agents of Faith...right?" Everyone went silent.

Then all of a sudden, they all started laughing their asses off. Hell, even Sonna was giggling.

"...what I say?" I asked stupidly.

Sonna softly placed a hand on my shoulder and said "We're the Assassins of Faith." She then smiled and giggled at me once again.

Nerdy shrimp and hot rich chick were FUCKING killers. My blood ran cold. I joined a group of murderers. I backed away slowly.

"All of you stay the fuck away from me."

"What's wrong Cha-" R started.

"Stay the fuck away from me you little killer."

I started to haul ass not giving a fuck as to where I was going. As I ran, I saw a blur and before I knew it I was on the floor being pinned by Sonna. She had a murderous look in her pretty ass ruby colored eyes. She was right on top of me, her face inches from mine. If the circumstances were different, I'd probably be ok with this. I'm not kidding. My fucking annoying ass man parts were seriously fucking with me right now.

She leaned in my ear, her blonde hair falling to the side of her soft ass face. I almost forgot she was a vicious killer...ALMOST.

She whispered in a voice that would freeze hell over and said "You've seen way too much to walk out on us. You are either apart of us, or you're DEAD to us. Your choice."

I was a mixture of turned on and scared as hell. I wasn't dying today so I had to join.

"Ok, ok I'm with you...shit." I said in a panic.

" Good now come on, we got a target." She walked away

Well...fuck me to hell.


	9. Long Flights for Two That Fight

Chapter 9

(R'S POV)

Well this is gonna be Chase's first kill. I'm can't wait to see how he does. He's probably gonna screw it up though. I can feel it.

We were walking down the hallway with Chase sweating his ass off. The agents/assassins, or as Chase calls them, murderers, all stared at him do to his little outburst. I'm not sure what Sonna did, but he's got his head down, hair covering his eyes.

"It's ok Chase, you'll like the thrill of the kill!" I stated.

"..." He didn't say anything. He really didn't have to.

We got to the list and stared at our options.

"Hmm, Danny Hare...what about him..?" I suggested.

Sonna nodded and Chase remained silently looking down.

We went to the vehicle compound. We had to travel across the country so we took the Aerial Cruiser. I loved those things. They were like cool ass space ships without the space.

When we got on we were strapped in. Sonna was flying, Chase was in the back, and I was in the passenger seat. Sonna sighed then looked back at Chase with a glare.

"You better perk up because this is your first kill." She said sternly.

"This just doesn't sit right with me though. You want me to take away a person's life. I... I just…

"You just what…" Sonna said narrowing her eyes.

"I…" Chase was clenching his fists tightly.

"You. What!" Sonna once again challenged.

"GODDAMNIT I CAN'T KILL SOMEONE!!!" Chase got up in Senna's face.

"I refuse to be like the people that took my family away. Nothing but good for nothing, heartless, assassins for fucking hire!" Chase was red with tears streaming down his face. "FUCK YOU ASSASSINS AND EVERYTHING YOU STAND FO-"

Sonna gripped him by the neck and pinned him to the wall of the cruiser. It was on autopilot.

"Don't you talk that way about the AOF. You don't know a damn thing about what we do, so just shut the hell up! She screamed at him. Never really saw her lose her composure like that. Chase must've struck a nerve.

"What, you don't like the word "murderers", because that what your precious little AOF is, a fucking kill ca-" Sonna then punched him square in the jaw and coldly said, before you cast judgment, I want you to think about our types of targets. You know, the people WE all murder. We had to go all the way to Los Angeles, so it was gonna be a long flight. I noticed Chase had fallen asleep. I looked at Sonna, she had frustration in her eyes.

"Sonna?" I called to her.

She glanced in my direction and gave me a tired smile as she continued to fly the aircraft.

"Yes R."

"You know you shouldn't take what Chase said to heart. He just doesn't understand us yet but, he'll come around." I said confidently.

"I suppose he will R." She said in a distance voice. "Otherwise things will only be much more difficult."


	10. Little Boy Blue Eyes

Chapter 10

Snow was falling vigorously to the floor within the cold streets of New York. A boy and his mother were walking from a small playground. The little boy was waving back to a little girl that was wearing a blue hoodie and holding onto a New York Knicks snapback.

"That little girl was pretty! I bet you have a crush on her, don't you sweetie?" The blonde haired woman said.

"I uh...Have no clue what you're talking about!" The small boy said while puffing up his red cheeks.

"It was really sweet of you to give her your hat and hoodie, but weren't those your favorites? You loved that hoodie and you've wanted a Knicks hat for the longest time." The woman said.

"I'll just get another one of those hats when we go to the next home game. Plus, it's cold outside and she didn't really have much on...I was being nice to her. You told me to always treat a sad girl with kindness." The boy replied.

"That is very true. I'm glad that you are such a sweet little boy." The woman said.

"Momma, can we go back to the park later? I really want to make more friends! It sucks being alone all the time." The little boy tugged on his mother's sun dress. "Can we momma? Can we?"

"We are going outta state sweetie. We get to go to Italy tomorrow. I've always wanted to go there." The woman said to her son. The little boy looked down with sorrow. The boy's mother kneeled down to his height and said to him "How about we go to that candy store across the street and pick up that chocolate bar you love so much while we wait?" He wiped away the tears from his eyes and said "Okay!" with a big smile.

The boy sat on his mother's lap, eating away at his chocolate bar until his father came running up to them, all beaten and battered.

"Oh my god Charlie what happened to you?!" The mother gasped in alarm.

"No time. You need to take our child and leave." He said in a panic.

"But where's Devon?" The woman asked.

"..." The man was silent.

"Charles Hawthorne, WHERE IS MY ELDEST SON?!" She shouted.

The man's face was wet with tears and sweat. "Damnit Maria, he's dead! Our eldest son IS DEAD!" The man shouted.

"He can't be...How could you let this happen...HOW CHARLES!"

"He tried to fight them off, but he was killed. He was a brave young man. He truly was."

The man began to cough up a storm. "Go now. They'll be here any minute now! LEAVE!!!"

The man watched as his remaining family members ran when a shadowy figure popped a shot to his skull. The brown haired man collapsed in a pool of his own blood.

The woman gripped the child's arm as they ran through the cold December streets of New York City. They pushed past the oncoming civilians as they continued to flee from their attackers.

"Come on sweetie, keep running!" The woman said in a panic.

"Momma, is papa coming with us?" At that moment, a shot rang through the air.

The woman stopped in her tracks and looked back at her son as she heard the subtle foot steps of the shadowy figure.

"Listen Chase and listen good. Mommy's gonna take care of the bad people." She scooped him up and placed him into a nearby dumpster. "Don't you dare come out until I say so, you here. Uncle Mickey will be here soon to get us ok, so just stay here. Whatever happens, just remember that Mommy and Daddy love you!" She closed the lid of the large trashcan. It was silent for a moment until the woman was surrounded by a group of dark figures.

"Listen up Mrs. Hawthorne, you really don't have to do this. Just tell us where to find the blueprints to the Arsenal." One of the dark figures spoke.

"Like hell I would tell you anything. You people are just no good, filthy assassins for hire. You're all just scum!" She was gripped up tightly and held at gunpoint.

"Im not FUCKING kidding lady. Tell us or I'll splatter your goddamn brains out you fucking bitch!"

"I won't give away my husband's life-long work. Not to the likes of you!"

The shadow sighed "Fine your choice then. It's quite a shame that you're being so goddamn stubborn."

~BAM!~

The woman dropped helplessly to the floor. Small chunks of brain matter littered the ground next to her. Her blood leaking from the hole in her head.

"MOMMA!!!" The boy screamed as he lept out of the large dumpster with tears in his eyes.

One of the shadowy figures lunged out and grabbed him. What's The matter kid? Miss ya mommy?"

"Get off me you jerk! I'll kill you!" The little boy spit in the man's face.

The man snarled and chucked the kid to the wall.

"Let this be a lesson kid. Don't fuck with assassins." The man started to walk away. "Oh and Merry Christmas kid." They then vanished.

The kid was still sprawled out on the floor. A few moments later, a man picked the kid up and said, "What did they do to you nephew?"

(CHASE'S POV)

I woke up in a cold sweat. I hated remembering that night. I hated everything about it. That night is the reason I hate the situation I'm in now. Here I am, on a plane trip to LA to go off and slaughter some helpless guy because I fucking can...what would my fucking parents say. I joined up with the types of people that destroyed my family, AND I FUCKING HATE IT WITH A BLOODY FUCKING PASSION.

Sonna said with a monotone voice as she looked at me "We're here, so prep for landing...and Chase, you better be ready. No hesitation!"

Seriously, fuck my goddamn life.


	11. Another Step Closer to Failure

Chapter 11

(SONNA'S POV)

We all stepped out of the Cruiser and looked around. It was dark out. We were on a quiet pier. Ahead of us was our target and his goons. R and I brought out our Arsenals and as soon as we were in our combat attire, we stared at Chase. He was just standing there with his head down. He's really starting to piss me off.

I walked up to him and said "Gear up. It's time to move out." He hesitantly did as he was told and trailed behind us.

R hopped from rooftop to rooftop as I ran in the shadows with Chase slowly following behind.

"I'm in position of the target." Said R with his Berrett 50. Cal loaded.

"Chase, I want you to lead a frontal assault." I said.

"But there's like thirty guys…" He said. I was losing patience.

"R and I will cover you." I drew my bow.

"NOW GO!" I demanded angrily.

He sighed as he charged through with his katana. The guards tried to shoot him but Chase was deflecting the bullets as he charged through. He made it clear that he wasn't gonna kill them. Too bad for them though because me and R wasted no time dropping them one by one. Chase was sprinting faster than I could see and he was now a few feet from the target.

(CHASE'S POV)

Fuck man what do I do? Do I actually kill the fucker...or do I let him go? Either way I was closing in on him and without thinking, I jumped up and kicked the poor bastard sending him to the ground with a hard thud.

He held a look of fear as he stared up at me. Me blade in my left hand, and one of my revolvers materializing in my right. I was hesitant as I pointed the gun at him.

"Please! Don't shoot. I'll go to jail if I have to, just please don't shoot me."

I looked at him as he closed his eyes begging on the floor.

"I...I…" The gun was shaking in my hand.

"FUCK! I CAN'T DO IT!" I dropped my weapons to the floor.

"What the hell are you doing? WHAT ABOUT THE MISSI-"

"FUCK THE MISSION! THIS ISN'T RIGHT!" I yelled cutting her off through the microphone.

"Chase we gotta ki-" R started.

"NO! I WON'T BE LIKE YOU! I WON'T KILL! I WON'T BE AN ASSAS-"

~BANG!~

My stomach felt like it was in pain. I felt a warm liquid dripping down my body. I dropped to my knees holding myself before I heard another loud gunshot. I looked behind me to see Sonna standing there with a goddamn Glock in her hand. I was losing consciousness when I heard the man I didn't kill scream in agony.


	12. Aftermath and Closure

Chapter 12

(R'S POV)

HOLY SHIT! Chase just got shot dude. The bastard that shot him was just sitting there smirking. Sonna ran up to them and look at Chase collapse to the floor with a hard stare. She then pulled out a Glock and shot our target. Chase was out like a light and I was panicking. Sonna just stared at him.

"R get him to the Aerial Cruiser...I need to confirm the kill with HQ."

I nodded as I jumped over to Chase and lifted him up over my small shoulders. It was getting late and I knew I had to be home before ma got worried. I strapped Chase in and got the ship ready. I attempted to wrap his wound but he needed medical attention stat. "Chase stay with me buddy."

"...R…" He said faintly.

"Chase just relax buddy. We're gonna get you fixed up."

What the hell was taking Sonna so damn long. Chase needed help and she was still not here.

I sighed. "Damn it. We need to go."

Just then, Sonna walked in and asked "How's he doing R." How's he doing? He took a bullet to the gut.

"Not good. He's out of it. He needs help." I stated.

"Well then let's get back to HQ."

-2 Hours Later-

We got Chase taken to the infirmary once again today. Yep, today was one long ass day. Tomorrow is Friday, so one more day of school. At this point, school was the last thing on my mind.

Sonna and I were in the infirmary with Chase asleep on the bed. I wanted to stay and I really didn't want to leave Chase but my mom was probably freaking out. Sonna must've noticed my conflict because she walked up to me and said, "Go on and head home. I'll look after Chase."

"But what about your dad?" I asked

Sonna scoffed and narrowed her eyes. "My dad is never home. He's not worried about me." I looked at her in confusion but began to walk out of the room, but stopped to say one last thing.

"Sonna, take it easy on him. You heard what he said about his family. I can't imagine what would happen if my mom was killed...so just...cut em some slack."

With that, I vanished.

(CHASE'S POV)

I felt like shit. Complete and utter shit. AGAIN!

I opened my eyes. I knew it was late as hell. The moon was shining on my face through the window.

I was in the fucking infirmary yet again. Man this day was really on some shit.

I looked towards my right and saw Sonna staring at me with tired eyes.

"You see why we kill now? That guy shot you in the back when you dropped your guard. That man Danny Hare was a drug trafficking murderer along with his goons. Had we not killed him tonight, he would've hurt many other INNOCENT people."

I lowered my head a bit and said "Alright I get it. You kill for a cause, shit…"

"Look Chase, I get that you aren't exactly fond assassins, but what we do is for the good of others, so please don't just think of us a vicious killers lacking a heart." She said softly to me.

I looked at her as she continued to sketch something in her book. "Whatcha drawing there Sonna?"

"Oh uh...it's just something from my childhood I guess."

"Can I see it?" She held up her sketch and it was the weird person she drew earlier.

"Oh yeah I wanted to ask, who is that Zeyco guy anyway?"

She seemed a little down when I asked that.

"Oh uh...is it personal or something.?" I asked.

"No no it's just...I miss him…" Her head down.

"Oh so he's like your boyfriend or something" I said. I felt kinda depressed when I said that, but it made a lot of sense.

"WHAT?! No he's just a really good friend of mine." She said with redness on her face. "He's in a pretty tough situation right now and he needs help, but I can't do much no matter how much I want to." Her eyes started to water. "I care about him Chase.Ya know what I mean?"

I got up and walked to her. More like limped but it's was whatever.

"Yes Sonna. Yes I do know. The day I lost my brother Devon. The day I lost my parents...I...I just...I know what it is to miss someone, and I hate it so much. I loved my family...and I WON'T ever forgive those who took them away from me." I moved closer to her.

"Sonna…" Damn it, just hug her or something. She may kill but she's not evil.

My blue eyes interlocked with her wet red ones. Damn did she look good. Fuck it.

I hugged her. Nah fuck that. I crushed her with my arms. My face was red as hell and my gut was killing me but I didn't give a damn. She wrapped her arms around me and sighed. This felt oh so right for oh so many reasons. Yeah, I felt like the fucking man!

When we pulled away from each other with her giving me nervous looks and me cheesing like a love struck dumbass. She then looked to me and said "I uh, I gotta go." She left pretty quickly. I flopped back on my bed and stared at the ceiling.

Damn...maybe I should call Beth…

(R'S POV)

When I got home, I saw my mom sitting there half asleep. It was three in the morning so she had to have forced herself to stay awake.

"Where have you been Rodman. You had me worried!"

Oh boy. I felt a pang of guilt in my chest. "I'm sorry ma, I had to uh, go help a friend. He got hurt real bad so we took him to the hospital." She seemed somewhat content with my answer.

"Ok but please call next time. I thought I lost you." She gave my a bone crushing hug.

"NOW! Off to bed with you!"

"Yes ma."


	13. Mystery in the Air and a Ton of Swears

Chapter 13

(SONNA'S POV)

I had to go. I had to go see Zeyco and the others. Chase was starting to make things weird with his display of affection. I...I can't deal with any sort of romance right now. I just, I have to go the chambers and at least go check up on them. I took a motorcycle up north to the Recoil's research facility in Maine. As I took the three hour non stop trip, I began to have memories of the Prototypes. Nyjii, Nero and...Zeyco.

-Flashback-

I was only nine at the time and my father kept going on and on about his oh so precious Recoil Project. I occasionally went with him to that dark, cold, depressing place. As my father was talking to some fat associate of his, I snuck into the basement. It was really dark and I heard slight taps.

"Hello?" My voice echoed through the area.

The tapping stopped. I kept on walking deeper until I stumbled upon some chambers. There were three kids my age inside of each chamber. Two looked to be asleep but one was reading a very advanced looking book for a ten year old. I tapped on the chamber wall and he looked up from his huge book.

"Oh, HI!" He said happily. "I'm Zeyco!"

I stared in shock. He seemed really excited. "Um, hi. I'm Sonna. "

"It's nice to meet ya! I like seeing a pretty face around here. All I ever get to see is a fat creep, and these two idiots." He pointed to the other chambers. He then leaned on the chamber wall coolly and said 'So what can I do ya for?"

"I was just curious. I heard taps so I thought that something was up."

He chuckled. "Nope. I tend to do that. Gets on the fat guys nerves."

It went silent as we stared at each other. His electric blue eyes seemed to glow in the dark. They were so fascinating.

"You got some real neat eyes. I didn't know people could have irises that were ruby red." He stated bluntly.

I wanted to keep talking so I asked, "What are you reading?"

"Oh this? It's just the full anatomical journey of your integumentary system." I was instantly lost. "The book about skin." He said with a sigh.

"Oh. Is it good?" I asked lamely.

"Oh yeah. I'm on the dermis layer! It's a great read. I could summarize for you."

"I wouldn't mind that." I said red in the face. I didn't have many friends due to my dad's social standing, so this was like the best thing ever.

"COOL! Wait till the guys here about this! I have a friend! Plus she's a girl!" A lightbulb went off in his head. "You're my GIRLFRIEND!" He screamed with excitement.

He must not have know what that really meant, but I didn't care because I at least had a friend. From that point on, I'd come with my dad whenever he went to the research facility. I drew for Zeyco and he would read to me. I eventually got acquainted with the other two, and they were really nice as well, but Zeyco was still and always would be my best friend.

Then one day, my father stopped going to the research facility. That only meant I'd see Zeyco less and less. The last time I saw him he was telling me something that sank deep within me.

"Sonna. We have to leave this place. We can't stay here Sonna. I'm sixteen. I've been here my whole life. I want to learn more, I want to feel more, I want to be free." He started breaking down. "Dammit Sonna let me out so I can at least hug you once! My friend, you gave me light in this dark hell hole. So please help me." I put my hand to the chamber. I told him everything I knew.

-Flashback Ends-

I arrived at the facility. Needless to say it was in ruin. I ran to the basement yelling Zeyco's name. I got no response. I hadn't seen him in over two years and I missed him and the others.

"ZEYCO!" I yelled once again in the dark basement. When I got to the old chambers, they were destroyed. All three were empty.

"They must've escaped. They had to have gotten out." I sank to my knees. I may never see him again, but as long as he can see the world and they all can be happy, then that's fine with me. I wiped a tear from my face as I looked back at the chambers and said "Have a good life you guys." I then get up and make my departure.

(CHASE'S POV)

For fucks sake man. I'm not sure why I'm doing this, but I guess I've got no choice. I have to move passed this. I can't keep being tied down by this chick I don't care for. To be honest, I never cared. I just thought having someone to call "mine" would lift my depressed spirits. IT DIDN'T. The bitch only made it worse with her constant nagging and complaining. The times I did actually WANT to be with her, were the times she was out partying or some shit. I'm not kidding. I knew she wasn't even loyal either. She hung around every guy in school more than me. I swear she fucked the whole football team in one night. That bitch. I was done with her. I truly was.

I dialed her number and the phone rang. When she picked up, I already regretted my decision.

"Well look who actually gave a fuck and called." I hated her. "I don't suppose you called to tell me how good I look so what do you want?" I REALLY hated her.

"Listen we should talk. This whole rela-" She cut me off.

"You don't so much as call me for weeks and now all of a sudden, you wanna talk?" She snapped.

"Listen for a sec-"

"NO! I'm sick and tired of your lack of effort with this whole damn relationship!" Yep, I was was gonna kill this hypocrite.

"Like you did any better!" I snapped back.

"At least I tried." She said. "You just mope around feeling all depressed about your parents when you got the best looking girl RIGHT there next you!"

"DON'T YOU DARE TALK ABOUT MY FUCKING PARENTS!" I shouted in the infirmary. "Or I swear to god I'll-"

"You'll what Chase? Kill me? ASSASSINATE me? Yeah right! You won't kill a damn thing. You complain about how assassins kill, but your not doing a damn thing about it. That night your parents died, did you even call the cops Cha-" I lost it.

"YOU SHUT YOUR FUCKING DIRTY ASS, COCK SUCKING MOUTH YOU STUPID BITCH! FUCK YOU AND EVERY SINGLE GUY YOU'VE BEEN FUCKING WITH! DON'T SAY SHIT ABOUT ME OR MY GODDAMN FAMILY! I'M DEADASS, BECAUSE I WILL KILL YOU AND YOUR WHOLE BITCH ASS FAMILY! NOW FUCK OFF OF MY PHONE YA FUCKING HOE!!!" I hung up and tossed my phone. It was three thirty in the fucking morning. I was gonna get no sleep. Beth really just pissed me off. I'm legit done with that bitch. She's gone which meant I was free.

...and trust me, when I said I'd kill her...I FUCKING MEANT IT!


	14. Hoops for Heart

Chapter 14

(R'S POV)

School was lame. I was exhausted from my lack of sleep so I barely caught onto what was happening in class. The bell rung and I was walking to my next class when I heard a slam on a locker. It was Chase. He seemed pretty pissed off.

"Hey Chase." I said as I walked up to him.

He looked at me. "Hey R." He grumbled.

"You good dude?"

"I'm fine…"

"Are you sure?" I continued.

"Yes…"

"...are you really sure?" He glared at me.

"Ok ok I get it, just asking" We had the same block two class so we just walked together.

"What are we doing today for PE?" I asked him.

"Fuck if I know man." We got to our locker room and changed into our gym class attire.

I laced up my black and gold Nike Roshe Runs. Chase had on a pair of white Nike Hyperdunks.

"Chase!" We heard a voice.

"Midnight? What's up with you?" Chase responded.

"I've been trying to talk to you bro. What the hell is going with you. Is Beth on her period again or something?" Chase scoffed and shook his head.

"Fuck Beth. I'm not with her annoying ass any more." Midnight nodded his head. He then noticed me and narrowed his eyes.

"What have you two and Sonna been up to?" Chase and I widened our eyes.

"I saw you three vanish in the parking lot yesterday." He pressed on.

"I...uh, we...um…" Chase started.

"We were practicing our magic tricks for the talent show!" I shouted.

Chase facepalmed and Midnight looked at me confused.

*Chase, since when do you do magic?"

"Uh, since I meet this complete dickhead." He pointed to me.

"HEY!" I'm only half dickhead." I said offended.

Midnight looked sceptical about the whole situation. "Suuuure…"

We walked into the gym where our class and teacher was waiting. Chase and Midnight went by some asian chick and I walked to Sonna.

"Hey Sonna!" She looked at me and gave me a sad smile.

"Hey R." She said lowly.

"What's wrong?" I asked yet again.

"It's nothing." She replied.

"You sure?"

"Yes R. I'm sure."

"...you sure you're sure?" She glared at me. Wow, twice in one day.

"Ok I get it." I put my hands up in mock defense. "Geez, Chase was pissed and now you're all sad."

"R! I SAID I'M FINE!" Both her and Chase said in unison. How did he hear me anyway?

"Alright you maggots, let's start with a couple laps around the gym." Said Coach Mcleod.

While we were running, I happened to be up front. I am the fastest runner. Sonna was right behind me. Chase was falling behind us to talk to Midnight and that same asian girl. They were all laughing. Midnight practically had tears in his eyes when Chase tripped.

"Chase! Up and give me fifty!" Coach snapped.

"Fuck!" Chase muttered as he got started. Midnight was dying on the floor.

"Mr. Milton!" Midnight stopped laughing and glared. "Since you're already on the floor, you can join Mr. Hawthorne." Coach said.

"Fuck!" Midnight muttered. Chase snickered.

When we got done the warm up, we got into teams for basketball. The teams were me, Sonna, The Asian girl that is named Karren, a guy named Jake, and a girl named Beth. The other team was Chase, Midnight, a guy named Blake, a girl named Luaren and a girl named Mya.

Midnight scored most of their team's points by shooting threes and Sonna dropped most of our points. Karren was NOT passing the ball to Sonna, and Beth kept on fouling Chase. I swear he was gonna slit her throat if it wasn't a time out.

Midnight was making a lot of PHYSICAL contact with Sonna and I swear Chase was red as hell. Their squad was on defense. I went for a jump shot but was blocked by Blake. Luckily Sonna regained the ball though. She was posting up Midnight and he was getting extremely close. Just then, Chase ran from behind and stole the ball from Sonna. He was frowning his ass off to. I swear I've never seen him that angry.

He lept up from the foul line a dunked the fuck outta the ball. The glass shattered on impact and needless to say, we all got quite. Well all accept Beth who said "Wow you are just a string of fuck ups today aren't you Cha-"

"SHUT THE FUCK UUUUUUUUPPPP!!! Chase went for a violent swing on her but stopped an inch away from her. Her black hair whipped back with the force of his near hit. The bitch fainted just looking at his fist.

The class stared in horror at what could have been a brutal murder.

"Ch...Chase, to the guidance counselor!" Coach said.

With that Chase ran off. Sonna and I looked back at each other and went to follow him.

(MIDNIGHT'S POV)

Dude what the fuck. I knew Beth was annoying but damn. Was Chase that mad at her. She would've died!

I went to go look for him. Heard pipsqueak talking with Sonna and Chase.

"Dude what happened out there? You almost-"

"R!" Sonna looked at him narrowing her gorgeous eyes.

Chase was staring at his hand. "Holy fuck! I was gonna…"

"But you didn't." Sonna said as she knelt down and hugged him. I felt a tad bit annoyed at the contact.

"Chase why were you so angry at her in the first place?"

"Sonna, she's a slutty ass bitch with no fucking care for other but herself. She WAS my annoying ass girlfriend, but that's over now. She thinks she's over everyone…" Chase paused for a moment, and then stared up at her with a fucking blush on his goddamned cheeks. What he said next almost made me punch the wall I was hiding behind.

"But she ain't got shit on you." He whispered in her fucking ear.

I walked away in anger.

"So Chase, it looks like it's gonna be a little challenge between friends. I'm cool with that." I clenched my fists smirking. "Fine then. Challenge accepted buddy!"


	15. Grand Theft Arsenal

Chapter 15

(MIDNIGHT'S POV)

I was walking back to my house stuck in thought. Something was still really weird with the situation though. Chase seemed to be a lot more hostile than usual. Then the way he vanished yesterday. It was all too weird.

When I got home, I stepped inside my huge ass house. Yep I was loaded. I'm sitting in my room thinking about life when I saw some people outside of my window. One of them had a real mean mug on him. He was talking about something involving an Arsenal. I wasn't sure what that was but I remember Chase talking about some Arsenal thing.

I stepped outside and saw the group of people. A man among them shouting "I have a wonderful device. One that gives you weapons capable of trampling a small army single handedly." He practically preached to the crowd.

"What a load of shit." Said a man.

The crowd began to mutter insults about the man.

"I found it outside of a the J.I.N Corp. East building!" I seen it with my own eyes!" The man said in his rugged voice.

"BULLSHIT!" The crowd yelled.

"You all be fools I tell ya. FOOLS!" The man yelled.

"I'll take it." I stated boldly.

"Aye. A smart lad." He stated as he looked at me with a grin.

"How much?" I asked.

"This here device be thirty million." The crowd grew silent.

"What..?" I asked darkly.

"This be an all powerful box. The Arsenal is worth three times the amount. I'm selling it for a quite reasonable price."

I had the cash, but I wasn't giving it to some low like, greedy fucker.

"Right…" I said walking up to him with narrowed eyes. "Or…"

I punched the man straight to the concrete. "You can give it to me and keep your teeth." The man glared and handed me the box. I turned to leave, but the man pointed a knife at me.

"You'll pay up! Be it with money or your life!" He said.

I turned around and grabbed his wrist. I gripped harder until he dropped the knife. "You sure about that?" I gripped tighter until I heard a ~CRAAACK~

"AAAAAAAHHHHH!!! FUCK!!!" He slumped to his knees holding his wrist.

I observed the box in my hand. I started to glow a dark blue color. It then said "SCANNING. MILTON FOYER."

"What?" I said confused.

I was then sent to a strange blue room.

"MILTON FOYER! LET YOUR TRAIL BEGIN!" A deep raspy voice shouted.

"What the hell?" Just then, two shotguns materialized in my hands. They were both Saiga 12s with a drum magazine.

"Holy shit!" Two big ass droids appeared through the floor. "Well then."

I pump both mags into one of them. Each shotgun had about twenty shots, but the best part had to be the full auto.

The first droid dropped to the floor completely mangled by the spread of bullets. I quickly reloaded both and tore through the last one.

"Man that was two easy." I said smirking.

"TRIAL COMPLETE." The shotguns disappeared from my hands. "Preparing transfer to Earth."

When I got back to earth I stared at the box. It said "Inactive".

"Well I'll just hold on to this." I need to find out more about this thing, and I planned to do that VERY soon.

(CHASE'S POV)

I was with Sonna and R at the moment sharing a pizza, talking about random shit when our goddamn boxes start freaking out.

"What the fuck?!" I said. I stared at the other two for an answer. They had blank looks on their faces. "What's going on?"

"Somebody just got accepted by the Arsenal." They said in unison.

"What? But who?." Sonna looked at me with concern.

"We don't know yet." She said.


	16. Coming Clean

Chapter 16

(CHASE'S POV)

Karren, Midnight and I were all at Midnight's place. The whole goddamn place was like the White House. Only difference was that the White House was smaller and well, white.

Karren and I were doing the fucking nut ass homework while Midnight was watching tv. The damn thing was like 148 inches. I'm not kidding. The surround sound was fucking insane. It truly was.

"This is so ass!" Said Karren. Our home work was a pain in the fucking ass. We had fucking hated calculus. How I got into this class, I'll never know. I'm not kidding.

"Hey Midnight! Ya mind getting your lazy over here and helping us finish this?" Karren said.

"...nah I'm good. Thanks for asking though." He stated back.

"FUCK this book!" I chucked the book back to the pits of hell it spawned in. "Yo you got something to eat?"

"...Downstairs…" He said distantly.

(KAREN'S POV)

Chase walked downstairs to go hunt for food. Those two seemed real cold to each other lately and I didn't like it. Midnight was suppose to annoy the hell outta me, and then make Chase laugh. Now he was all silent and stoic.

"Ok what's up with you and Chase." I asked.

"Nothing…" He was lying.

"Don't bullshit me Milton!" He winced at the sound of his real name.

"I said it was nothing Karren…"

"Fine. Be an ass and stay grumpy your whole life for all I care." I stated.

"...I like Sonna." I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, who doesn't love Miss Perfect."

"No I mean for real. She's just so-"

"Pretty, smart, confident, skilled, rich, SEXUALLY AROUSING!" I snarled. I hated that bitch.

"...I was gonna say interesting, but ok." He said sweating. He then looked down. "The problem is that Chase is into her too. They're already close with each other." He glared at the floor. "Dammit all."

I was confused. "Wait. Chase wants her too? That BITCH!"

"I could impress her with my new little toy!" He said triumphantly.

I face palmed. "Keep your dick in your pants tough guy."

"No,this." He pulled out a dark blue box. I couldn't believe it. How did he get an Arsenal.

"Midnight. How did you get that?!" I asked dumbfounded.

"I took it from some creep. When I heard Chase had one, I had to get one for myself." He said determined.

"CHASE HAS ONE TOO?" I shouted. He nodded his head. Wow. THE Chase Hawthorne, an assassin.

"Wait how do you know about the Arsenal." I paused for a moment staring wide eyed. I then sighed.

"No use hiding it now." I pulled out my dark pink box. I hated pink and all it stood for though.

"HOW LONG HAVE YOU HAD THAT?!" He yelled.

"About three months now."

"...but how?"

"It was given to me by my deceased sister." I looked at it. "She chose me to use it."

"Whoa dude…kinda makes my reason for having it seem petty as hell." We both started to crack up.

(CHASE'S POV)

What the FUCK! I must be losing my shit. Midnight and Karren both have a fucking Arsenal. I was coming upstairs with a hot pocket in my hand when I heard all of this shit.

"So Midnight wants Sonna too, huh?" I whispered to myself. I stared at him and Karren laughing. "Well that sucks because she's going with me."


	17. Mixed Feelings

Chapter 17

(R'S POV)

Chase and I were in the training room. Chase actually asked me this time to train with him. I thought he'd be a bit more...hesitant to ask me that after last were "trained" together.

We walked around to the training chambers while in a conversation. Apparently, Midnight received an Arsenal. I was caught off guard when Chase said that.

"So Midnight is the new Arsenal holder?" I asked. "Wow."

"I know right! And now he's trying to impress Sonna with it." We were doing some light sparring. He clearly needed to cool off. He was swinging harder and faster for a light spar. "Then the fact that he claims that I like her! Can you believe that shit?!" He stated hysterically.

"...Yes actually…"

"Well yeah, sure, I'm mildly attracted to her." He went for a tornado kick. I back flipped to dodge the swift attack. "I mean it's Sonna. She's amazing with her nice ass curves, hypnotic eyes, soft ass lips, beautiful golden hair, smooth skin, arousing voice, strawberry scent, high intelligence, strong attitude…" I gave him a "Really" look.

"...Okay so I'm into her." He said with his head down. I took advantage and gave him a stiff knee to the head. He shook it off and charged at me.

"But the doesn't give Milton the fucking right to tell me who I love!" He struck me in the chest with a hard palm strike. I won't lie, it hurt.

"I think you're overreacting. I'm sure Sonna wants to slurp your face off as much as you want to plow her soul." I said jokingly.

"You really think so?!" He asked very seriously.

"...uh...maybe." I said. He glared and gave me a hard side kick. I was really letting him vent his anger out on me. That and if I start really fighting, I might go overboard again. I can't let that happen again. I don't want to hurt Chase. He and Sonna are the only two people I consider friends.

He came to me and offered a hand. I gripped his and he pulled me to my feet. He then said "Thanks R. I needed that."

"Yeah yeah. No problem dude." We fist bumped and went our separate ways. Chase went home, but I had to talk to Sonna before Chase gets wild and eats his own ass out or something.

-In the Briefing Room-

I entered and saw Sonna talking to Blake. He was our mission giver...yeah let's go with that…

"Sonna are you sure about having a rookie on your squad. I mean he did fail his.." They both noticed my presence in the room and Blake shut up immediately. "Oh it's just you R."

"Chase didn't mean to screw up. He had a personal issue." I said.

"Being an assassin means you need to leave your issues behind." Blake said.

"We are humans. Chase is human. Not some mechanical FREAK!" I shouted in frustration. I saw Sonna wince and she ran out the room.

"SONNA!" I called to her. Blake just shook his head as I went to follow her.

-25 Minutes Later-

I finally found her in the closet crying. "Sonna what's wrong with you?"

"R...he's gone...all...of them…" She said in between sobs.

"What?" I asked.

"THE PROTOTYPES R! NYJII, NERO, AND ZEYCO!!!" She held her head down. "Zeyco... he's really gone now. I know it's selfish and I know I should be happy for him, but I can't lose feeling of them leaving. He was my friend R and I…" Oh boy Chase I pray for you that she doesn't say what I think she is gonna say.

"Sonna…"

"R I love him ok. I miss him and I don't know what to do." I said with puffy eyes.

"...You could start with Chase…? I'm sorry Chase but you need help, and Rod is here to give it to you.

"What R?"

"Chase. He's a cool guy, and funny too." I said.

"I don't know R…I need a little time." She looked away.

"Take all the time you need." I helped her up and walked her out the closet. "Just give em a chance. You might find out you two are meant to be."

She smiled and said "R don't be weird."


	18. Say Yes To Me

Chapter 18

(CHASE'S POV)

It was the weekend, but I was bored as hell. There was nothing to do. I usually chill with Midnight on the weekends but that would be awkward as fuck right now. R is with his mom somewhere and Sonna...just thinking about her made me feel all tingly inside. Yes that sounds corny as hell but I'm not kidding. I like Sonna but I'm not sure what to do about her. She's just so amazing but every time I got close to her, or try to move passed the whole friend zone shit, she'll give me the cold shoulder for fucks sake. I just need her to give me a chance. It also doesn't help that my childhood friend is all of a sudden trying harder than ever to get her too. No wonder he hasn't been with that many girls this week. He's only focused on Sonna.

"Fuck…"I muttered. What if she has a boyfriend? No, R would've told me. He and Sonna are practically siblings.

I was slumped out on the couch watching tv when I heard a knock on the door.

"Dammit…"

I got up to go see who it was and trust me when I said I almost screamed when I saw who it was. Sonna was standing there in a red tank top and some short shorts. I'm slowly starting to regret wear sweat pants due to ever growing tent in my nether regions.

"Yo Sonna." I waved.

I was fucking nervous as hell. "May I come inside?" She softly asked.

"Hell yeah you can come inside!" I tried to shut away the perverted ass thoughts in my head. She stepped in and looked around.

"Nice place." If she thought this shit hole was nice, then I pray to God she doesn't see Midnight's place.

"Uh yeah, thanks." She took a seat on the couch and I walked to the kitchen. I grabbed one of my uncle's bag of chips.

"You want anything?" I asked. To be honest, there wasn't much. I had to go get more food.

"No thanks." She said.

I walked back to her and asked "is something wrong? DID R DO IT?!"

"No it's just...I'm just a little confused is all." She said quietly.

"Sonna…" I called.

"What is it Chase."

I inhaled deeply. "Doyouwannagooutwithme?" I said quickly.

"What?" She questioned.

I sighed. Dammit this was harder than I thought. I have to take her out. "Go out with me Sonna. Please...please say yes." PLEEEEEAAAASSEE!!!

She stared at me in shock. "Ch...Chase...I didn't expect you to ask me that to be honest." She then hesitated and was fooling with her hands.It was kinda cute. It truly was. "...yeah, I will." FUCK YEAH!

"Alright!" I fist pumped the air. "Let's go!" I took her hand and dragged her out of my house.


	19. I'll Call It a Date

Chapter 19

(CHASE'S POV)

I dragged Sonna to my trusty dirt bike and handed her my helmet as I got on.

"Well, hop on." She sat behind me and held my waist a little tighter than I expected but I didn't really give a shit.

"Is this even street legal?" I laughed as I revved the bike.

"Fucks no! Now hold on." We took of and zipped through the streets. Not gonna lie, I popped a couple of wheelies.

We got to the nearest mall I could get to. I parked in a close space. We hopped off and she glared at me when she took off the helmet.

"You are the worst driver!" I grinned and shrugged.

"Sorry about that. Now c'mon."

We went all over the place just doing our own thing. We went to some arcade. She kicked my ass in like everything there. We went to the food court and grabbed lunch, bought some shit and got ice cream. I think I did a good job for a hundred bucks.

We were sitting on a bench staring at the place from the third floor until we heard a scream. Apparently some dickhead thought it was cool to mug some chick at gunpoint. She kicked the guy in his nuts and ran off with her son. The man pointed the gun at her and shot the bullet. Time froze for a moment. All I could see was my mother's cold lifeless face.

Without thinking, I went Arsenal and tossed two shuriken I never knew I had.

"FUCK!" The man screamed as one shuriken severed his hand and the other intercepted the bullet.

I lept into the air and gave the prick a hard knee to the face. His nose was fucked. He dropped and tried to crawl with his one hand. I lunged at him and grabbed his head, repeatedly slamming it to the hard floor. I kept going even after he passed out. The bastard is lucky Sonna stopped me.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING SONNA?!" I snapped at her.

"Stopping you from making a mistake."

"I didn't need to be stopped. He deserved it. He would've killed her." I said.

"Just like your-"

"Don't. Just...don't." I warned her. "Look let's just head back."

She sighed. "Ok."

We rode in silence the whole way home.We got to my house and I put my ride away. I looked at her and said " I'm sorry I lost it back there. I wasn't sure what I was doing. I just wasn't cool with the whole situation. Seeing a kid lose his mother…" I dropped my head.

"Chase…" She went up to me and…

~SMACK!~

"Ow!" I shouted.

"That's for being stupid." She said. She then kissed me right right where she just slapped the hell outta me.

"That's for taking me out. Thank you. I was feeling pretty bitter lately and you really helped me out so...thank you."

"Uh, yeah sure, any time." I said grinning like a fucking idiot.

"Well I should head home it's pretty late-"

"Or you could spend the night!" I tried not to make it weird...It came out weird…

She raised a brow.

"We just hang out here and chill." Why I felt so bold I'll never know.

"Chase I don't even have a change of clothes." Shit.

"I got some you could borrow if ya want."

"Will your uncle-"

"Mikey is out on business again and he wouldn't care anyway." Seriously, he keeps trying to get me laid with random girls. I'm not kidding. It gets real weird sometimes. It truly does." If you want I'll drop you home-"

"NO!" She quickly shouted. I was real confused for a moment. "I'll stay here. Should be fun anyway."

I was oh so very confused.


	20. Snooping and Snoozing

Chapter 20

(SONNA'S POV)

My "father" would probably kill me if he found out I was in some guy's house, spending the night with him...alone. I was nervous and my stupid face wouldn't stop looking red the whole night.

I was going upstairs to Chase's room to go change. I walked in and I was surprised with how neat he kept things.

"He said they were in his top drawer. I looked in and found a white tank top and some baggy sweat pants. I was going to his bathroom to change when I saw a picture of a little blonde boy, a tall brown haired boy, a blonde woman and a brown haired man. The back of the picture had something written on it.

"Never forget." I read aloud.

"Trust me, I won't." Chase said in my ear. I was frozen in place. My face once again red with embarrassment. "I thought you were having trouble so I came to see what was up...yep, that's me and the family before the night of my life."

I was already caught so I decided to ask about it. "So who's the brown haired boy?"

"My older brother Devon. He was a real hot head and I got my lovely language from him. He was strong, and brave. He knew how to kick some ass. Whenever I was getting bullied by the older kids at school, he was the one that fucked em up. I was always trying to impress him...but, now he's dead...and I'm still here."

He walked out the room silently. He stopped, looked back and said "I ordered pizza."

I sighed. I had to go and make things weird again.

(CHASE'S POV)

I didn't really care If she looked around. I'm not kidding. I didn't mind telling her that stuff. Whenever I talk to her about my life, it's not all sad. It's more of a relief type of feeling.

When she came down in my clothes I had to rub my eyes. How was it that she was able to look so damn good in my clothes.

"Chase." She said. I was still staring at her chest.

"You mind looking...somewhere else…"

"Yes...I MEAN, UH SORRY ABOUT THAT!" Damnit!

There was a knock at the door.

"I got it."

I walked over to the door and saw it was the pizza guy. I snatched the box from him and said "Put it on my tab." I then slammed the door shut. "I got FOOD!" I turned on the tv, put the pizza on the coffee table and cut off the light. We stayed up till three in the morning and before I knew it, we were knocked out.

-In the Morning-

My chest felt heavier and yet slightly pleasant, my face tickled a bit, my legs seemed locked in place. I opened my eyes and boy oh boy did I feel like I was gonna rip my pants. Sonna, right here, sleeping soundly, on my chest. Sweating, check. Heat rising to my face, check. Completely annoying ass erection in my pants, CHECK. Her soft ass chest all up on me just had me drool like a dickhead. Her soft lips right on my neck as she breathed. Did I die? Shit, if this was hell, then fuck heaven. Her hands grabbed my shoulders firmly and she moved her lips to my ear. "Good morning Chase." FUCK hormones man.

"Uh...Sonna, what's going on with ya?" I stuttered like an idiot.

"I'm not sure. I was cold and I you looked cold too so I thought that this was the best option." It truly was a good option. "I can get off if you-" I grabbed her hips and said "Hell no! I'm feeling warm already." To be honest, I was on fire.

She laid her head right on my chest. "What's the plan for today?"

"Not sure." I said. It was Sunday and we had like a week of school.

We laid there for a while enjoying each other's company.

"... so...uh you hungry?" I said.

"...yeah." She shrugged.


	21. Enter: The Prototypes

Chapter 21

(CHASE'S POV)

FUCK Mondays. The start of a long, shitty ass week of school. I was at my locker grabbing some shit when R came running at me.

"Chase!" He said outta breath. "You hear about the three new students?" I shook my head no. "Dude, everyone is talking about them. I heard one had a one hundred and ten percent on the entry exam." That exam was like five hundred questions.

"Uh, ok...why would I care..?" I asked. So what if one of them was really smart. Has nothing to do with me.

"I...that's a good point." We kept on walking to class until Chase bumped into some mysterious looking guy with onyx eyes.

We were almost at our class when I looked up and saw three people enter the school walking near us. "Who are those motherfuckers?" I said.

The guy with the headphones glared at me. I wasn't fazed by it though. Milton is scarier than this guy. "What ya want PUSSY!" He said. I hated being called that. It reminded me of how I did nothing the day I lost my family. We're running low on ti-" I punched him square in his jaw. Not sure what he's made of but my hand felt like shit afterwards. He then just shoved me away. I then gave him a series of rapid kicks R showed me which seemed to work a bit.

"DON'T CALL ME A PUSSY! YOU BASTARD!" I was glaring hell at the guy. Then he started smiling like a weirdo.

"I'm so so sorry for calling you a pussy. My apologies, I really shouldn't have offend you." Was the guy bipolar or something. One minute he snaps, and now he's sorry. I dropped my glare and gave him a very confused look. "Wanna be an honorary Proto?" He asked. The fuck was that?

"What the hell is that?" I heard Midnight ask. Oh boy. The weird guy yelled at him "SHUT THE FUCK UP YOU GODDAMN RETARD!" Wow. Yep definitely bipolar. Midnight just raised an eyebrow as the other guy stormed off pissed. Man he was weird.

The taller guy gave a frustrated look and said "Jesus Nero control your temper." They began to walk to the principle's office. I looked at R and said "Those the three new students?"

"Yep…" He said with a nod.

"Well alrighty then." I said with my usual scowl. Something was up with them and I didn't like it.

(MIDNIGHT'S POV)

I generally hated my first class. All of my other classes were senior level but I had to take eleventh grade english. The weird angry guy walked into my class and immediately took a seat in the back. He still seemed pretty steamed. I noticed Beth look over at him with a flirtatious grin. They were engaged in a conversation about something until the bell rung. What ever they were talking about left him in a bitter mood because he was narrowing his eyes at her. Class was super boring today and I almost fell asleep. The Nero guy beat me to it though because the teacher went to him and told him to wake up. What was weird was when Nero woke up, his eyes were slits, like a cat's eyes. The teacher saw this and looked like he was gonna pee himself. He sent Nero out as Nero gave him a look of malice.

 **A/N: At this point of the story, if you haven't already read "Prototypes" by RodtheGod, then please don't hesitate to read it. We are working on our stories together and both stories's characters are all in the same universe. To know more about the lore of the story, read Prototypes. Zeyco out.**


	22. Old Heartbeats New Heart Break

Chapter 22

(SONNA'S POV)

First block I had AP calculus. That class was fairly easy. I still had Chase on my mind after our weekend but, I just couldn't get Zeyco out either. Holding on to old feelings aren't going to help me so maybe I should just let this all go. Chase is a nice guy and Midnight's an option I suppose. I really can't complain about the fact that he left. I just wish he I could've said goodbye to my first friend.

I took my seat in the middle of the class. The teacher did roll call and as she finished up, she said "Class, we have a new addition to our roster." A dark haired guy came in the room silently agitated. He had on a dark grey jacket, a white T-shirt that said "Relentless" under it, he had on dark grey joggers and white Adidas and shades on. He looked really familiar. He scanned the room for a seat and then he seemed to stare at me. He took a seat next to me, and grinned.

"It's been some time hasn't it Sonna?" He said. I looked and saw blue orbs behind his dark shades. ELECTRIC blue. There was no way it was him. The teacher looked up at him then the class.

"Mr. Zeyco here scored a one hundred and ten on the entry exam. The highest score ever seen on that exam." It was him. There was no doubt that it was him now. Only he could be that smart. He looked at me and grinned. He lifted his shades and winked with his blue starry eyes. My face got hot again as I stared in shock at him. He whispered to me and said "Wanna catch up during lunch."

"Yes!" I said excited. He chuckled and put his head down.

(CHASE'S POV)

I'm not gonna lie, I was actually looking forward to lunch. Me and Sonna were so close on Saturday. Man, I might ask her out after school today. I walked to the table with Karren studying and Midnight glaring.

"What's wrong with you?" I asked him.

"FUCK off!"

"...Right well I'm gonna go hang with Sonna." I said mockingly.

"Ha! Good luck. She's hanging with some new guy." He snarled. Wait what…

I looked over to the table and boy did I lose my shit. I stormed over to the table. Sonna and some jackass were sitting way too close for my taste. They were exchanged in a deep conversation. "Hey, dick!" I said. He and Sonna stared at me.

"Oh hello, Can I help you..?" That bastard.

"Yeah. You can start by finding somewhere else to sit!" I yelled.

"Chase!" Sonna said shock. I paid her no mind.

"Listen I don't know who you are but I want you to get away from me and my friends." I snapped. He got up and stood at my height.

"What if I don't want to leave. My girlfriend and I were catching up on old times." He said. Sonna FUCKING blushed from that shit. I saw red. I gripped him by his shirt and punched the fuck out of him.

"Chase stop!" Sonna yelled. I looked at her and said "Why him. When you were crying over that guy, I was there to console you. What about last weekend." She slumped to her knees tearing up.

"Please Chase. Don't do this." She sobbed.

"You climbed on top of ME!" I said. I clenched my fists. "Damnit Sonna, I LOVE YOU FOR SHIT SAKE!!!" I shouted at her hysterically.

Zeyco got up and shoved me away from her. "Don't you dare yell at her or I'll obliterate you within seconds." He narrowed his eyes.

"Go ahead and try it bitch!" I said determined. I put my hands up in a fighting stance.

"Oh, so you fight orthodox with your foot on a forty five degree angle for vicious roundhouse kicks." Wait What? "Ya know how to handle taekwondo tough guy?"

I charged at him with consecutive straight punches but he evaded all of them with relative ease. I went in for a wild haymaker but before I could connect, he hit me with an open palm strike faster than the eye could see. I was sent crashing into a wall. The wind was knocked right outta me. I forced myself to my feet and glared at him. My vision was blurry. I was contemplating using Arsenal but decided against it. Sonna stared at me with teary eyes. I dropped my head and walked out of the cafeteria. "Fuck this…" I said holding myself.

I walked past R in the hallway. "Hey Chase!" He said happy for some reason. Too bad though, because I brushed right past him. "Dude you ok?" He asked. I just kept on walking until I got outside the school. That's when my Arsenal started to flash white and I ended up at HQ.


	23. Inhale the Bloodshed

Chapter 23

(CHASE'S POV)

"What the fuck..?"

"Hello Chase." Some guy said.

"Why the hell am I here right now?" I asked.

"You've got a target. Randall Nixon. Jamaican warlord and leader of the Caribbean weapons trade. He's your target. Take em down." He informed.

"Why me though?"

"You seemed...available." He said. So I was being watched. Fuck me.

"Whatever not like I was busy."

"Great. Now go head out. He's gonna be on Wall Street, a secluded club. No point in going quiet. Take a direct approach."

"Sure thing chief." I saluted.

-Thirty minutes Later-

"Shank Sips Bar?" What a stupid name. I went Arsenal and drew my katana. I looked at my black belt and saw six frag grenades. I tossed one at the door. The second it detonated I lept through the opening a stabbed into one of the guards. I pulled the blade right out of his skull. I scanned the area and saw fifty motherfuckers. PERFECT!

They all shot at me and I deflected the bullets. Some went back and hit others. One guy tried to run so I tossed my sword at him and it pierced his throat. Some of the men stared at me, horrified.

"I should warn all of you. You caught me on a really bad day." I said.

I grabbed two handfuls of shuriken and tossed them at my enemies. I side flipped and rolled as I showered them with ninja stars. I even got a guy in the eye. I saw one guy remaining and two chain sickles materialized in my hands. I tossed one and it pierced his leg. It was stuck right in that bitch. I grabbed the chain and pulled.

"OH FUCK!" He screamed as I dragged his ass closer to me. "NO! PLEASE!"

"Relax ya fucker! I got a couple of quick questions for you." I said. He left a blood trail as I pulled him in. I gripped him by the throat and pushed him to the wall. I began to punch him in the face repeatedly. His face began to distort. His broken nose was leaking, teeth punched out, lumps on his goddamn face. My knuckles were bloody but I didn't give a shit. I dropped his limp body and kneeled down to him.

"Now that you seem to understand that I'm not dicking around. How's about we chat for a bit. Where's your fucking boss." I said with grit teeth.

" I don't know-" I stabbed my katana into his wrist. "AAAAAAHHH!"

"Try again."

"No, really I don't-" I brought out a revolver and shot his fucking knee cap. "Shit shit SHIT!" He screamed as he bled out.

"Your wasting my time." I put my gun to his temple. "Last try dickhead."

He was sweating his ass off. "He's three floors down talking with Jonathan Tuckerson."

"Good job shit stain. You win a prize." I unloaded my revolver's bullets into his chest. More and more blood splattered onto me.

I sliced through the elevator doors and looked down. "Not to bad of a fall."

I jumped three floors down and smashed right through the elevator. "What the hell?!" A guard said confused at the sight of me.

"Lights out bitches!" I shot the elevator lights out.

"…Where the FUUUUU-"

…No wait, please!"

"…AAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!"

The door opened and my white Trench coat was practically red now. Severed limbs scattered the elevator floor. I had one guy hanging from his small intestines. The guards in the hallway gave a look of horror and disgust.

"Oh fuck no!" One yelled as he ran to a steel door. I chucked both chain sickles at him. They hooked onto his shoulders. I dragged him into the dark, bloody elevator as he screamed. "HELP ME!" He shouted in the dark. The ~CRACK~

I tossed his limp figure back out for the other guards to see.

"He snapped his fucking neck." A female guard shouted. "Kill his ass. NOW!" They drew their AK47s and all focus fired on me.

I front flipped through the air avoiding all fire. I swung my chain sickles all around me. They not only deflected the incoming fire, but also slit a few throats. One by one, bodies dropped.

I tossed a shuriken at one guy crawling for his life. It pierce right through his head. The poor bastard.

I kicked down the steel door and saw my target. "THE Mr. Randall Nixon, I've been ordered to kill you."

He was on the screen talking to a man in a red fedora and shades. "Well Randall, I see you have your hands full. Ta ta!" The man signed of.

"Jonathan, you prick!" He shouted at the tv in distress. I shot the tv five times.

"C'mon man, aren't you happy to see me?" I said mockingly. "Cuz I'm glad I found you.

(R'S POV)

I got to the cafeteria a little later than I wanted too but when I did get there, Sonna was crying, some guy was holding her, Midnight and Karren looked shocked, and Beth was laughing. I walked up to Sonna and asked her what was wrong.

"R, Chase has lost it. He went and attacked Zeyco in anger." He what...wait...oh no.

I walked back wide eyed. She didn't tell him about Zeyco...he must've assumed the worst. "Sonna, where is he."

"How should I know." Oh boy. He's got an Arsenal in his possession. I don't know what he'll do.

"I'm going to HQ. He might be there." I turned to walk off. I noticed Sonna didn't move. "You're not coming?"

She closed her eyes and shook her head "no".

I grit my teeth in anger. The whole cafeteria was laughing or gossiping about what happened. Whatever it was, it wasn't in Chase's favor. "Fine!" I yelled at her. "Be that way. It's not like he's hurting right now!"I said sarcastically. I ran off. I heard footsteps behind me. I turned and saw Karren and Midnight, both with sad looks.

"We wanna help Chase too." Midnight said. "I know we haven't been on the best of terms lately, but shit. I'd rather him get Sonna then some smart douche."

Karren then started talking. "We're his best friends. We know him better most people. We can help." I sighed.

"Sorry but where I'm going, doesn't allow outsiders." I said with a firm tone.

"You mean the AOF secret headquarters?" She said with a smirk. I went silent. "Well agent R, the swift, silent powerhouse?" I widened my eyes as she and Midnight held up their Arsenals.

"You two are-"

"Yep! I got mine last week. Karren has been training me." Midnight said. "She even got me approved.

"...Well then I guess you're both good to go." We all went Arsenal. Karren had on a black and dark pink suit that reminded me of Black Widow. She had a black half mask on and a headband. Midnight had a dark blue coat, black cargo pants. The coat was open and he had no shirt under it. He had fingerless gloves with spiked knuckles. A dark blue visor covering his eyes. I turned my back to them and said "From here on out, we're Team Arsenal."

I grabbed both of their shoulders, we all the vanished to HQ.


	24. Let's Upgrade

Chapter 24

(R'S POV)

We finally got to HQ. We looked around for Chase. I was really hoping that he was here.

"Midnight I want you to go check the grid. Karen see if you can get a scan on Chase's location." I commanded.

"Sure thing chief." Midnight responded.

Just then, Chase walked into the room all bloody and disheveled. I was surprised at first but then I realized, he just went off on a killing spree.

"Holy hell dude, what happened." Midnight shouted.

"I had a mission I completed the mission. Nothing to it." Chase said darkly

I was still confused at how he could kill so easily. Just a few days ago he was so hesitant to kill one person and now he's out here slaughtering people.

"Chase are you sure what you did was right? I mean, don't you think you went a little overboard?" I said.

"No I don't think I went overboard. Dude was a weapons smuggling jackass. He had to die. I've got not a single regret about what I did." He said as he cleaned the blood off of him.

I sighed. "But what about your whole code against killing." I asked hesitantly.

"Man fuck that. I'm a goddamn assassin now who gives a shit about moral codes." He hissed with a glare.

"Dude all I'm saying is that I don't want you to regret anything you're doing."

"I said I'm fucking fine!" Snapped Chase.

"Whoa man chill out…" Midnight spoke with uncertainty.

"Don't fucking concern yourself with what I'm doing!" Chase growled. Midnight was pissed.

"If this is all about Sonna than forget it. She's into someone else. I know how that feels you know." Midnight spoke.

"You don't have any fucking clue about how I feel. You sit there fucking hoes and countless other women while I'm out here struggling for one! Fuck you and fuck everybody in this bitch!" He started to walk off but Karren stopped him.

"Chase we're on your side, so you need to relax." He glared at her.

"Real shit! Fuck that kid with the weird ass eyes." Said Midnight. " THE FUCK WAS HIS NAME ANYWAY NIKKO?!" Midnight shouted the last part hysterically.

"Chase we're your best friends. We're there for you." Karren said.

Chase looked at the two of them and smirked. He then looked at me and raised an eyebrow.

"R, why are you helping me? I thought you and Sonna we're like best friends or something." He asked me. I lowered my head.

"I don't know. The way Sonna just turned on you, I didn't like that. It's just not right." That truly was how I felt.

"Well it doesn't matter because we're going to kick the ass of all those weird freaks." Midnight said confidently.

Karren nodded her head and Chase smirked. I looked up and smiled as I said "Team Arsenal bitches!"

-At the Market-

(CHASE'S POV)

I needed fucking groceries so I decided to head to the market later that day. I was looking around when I saw this strange looking guy. He was wearing a white apron for God's sake. The damn thing said "kiss the cook". He wore black boots with white pants. He had pure black hair with a white stripe on the side of it. What was really creepy was that his pupils were white for some reason. He seemed to be looking for produce and then he looked at me funnily. I started to get the chills from his pure white gaze. He then called out to me.

"Hey you! I can sense something strange from you. Can we talk for a minute." I looked at him kind of weird.

"What do you want?" I asked.

"Pardon my rudeness sir, but I noticed that you had a strange device in your possession. Would you mind if I take a look?" What the hell. How did he know I had something? Arsenal was stashed away in my back pocket.

"I'm not really sure about that."

"Oh come now I trust you'll enjoy what I do for you." Now this is just getting weird.

"Look dude just fuck off!" I snapped.

The man sighed. He then vanished behind me and before I knew it I was down.

I woke up in a strange ass room. Seemed to be some big factory of some sort. Not going to lie it was pretty fancy in here.

I was laid out on a couch looking around the room. I saw that man come up a set of stairs. He had some strange smile on his face. Oh God did I get raped. This truly was the shittiest fucking week ever.

"Oh good you're up I just finished." He said. "This strange device seems to hold quite the capabilities. I had quite a grand time tinkering with it." I jolted up in a furious panic.

"The hell did you do to my Arsenal. I swear so help me if that thing is messed up, I'm gonna-"

"Oh relax. If anything I've improved it. Go on ahead and test it out." I linked up with Arsenal and right away I felt a change. I felt faster, stronger more agile. I drew my revolvers and they seemed to be different somehow. For starters the barrel was longer, the chamber was no longer for individual bullet placement but instead favored one magazine so instead of reloading six individual shots I could just place two chamber mags in(If your confused, think of a Hand Cannon from Destiny). I also notice that they could be fired faster. They had a fan firing mechanism. I took out my katana. It was longer, sharper and it seemed lighter. I drew my chain sickles and they had more reach to them. I also realized my utility belt was now also equipped with flash bangs and concussion grenades. All of a sudden an assault rifle materialized in my hands. I noticed what it was right away. The Famas G1 with AUG sights, an under barrel grenade launcher, extended mags and laser sights. Needless to say this thing was sexy.

"Holy shit! This is awesome." I said drooling.

"Keep in mind there is one weapon that was locked away. I couldn't access it with my tinkering. It must be extremely powerful." He said.

"Holy shit, there's still one more I can get?" I said. I looked at him grinning. "Thanks...uh…" I realized I never caught his name.

"Kairo. Kairo Blade."

"Yeah well thanks Mr. Blade, but I do have to get out of here." I said.

"Oh but won't you stay for dinner?" He asked.

"Thanks but no thanks. Who knows maybe we'll see each other around sometime." I walked out and gave him a wave. Nice guy.


	25. PLUS ULTRA!

Chapter 25

(R'S POV)

I was in the comic book store looking for my God of High-School manga. The store name was Wilkins. I went there after school all the time to look for more cards and stuff, you know the usual. This place was like my safe haven I love going here. I turned around and saw one of those new kids starring in the window looking at the books. Then he turned to me. I guess he noticed that I was looking. Then you just begin to walk off. I ran out of the store in pursuit of him.

"Hey!" I shouted. There were a lot of people around and they stared awkwardly.

I was coming closer then get this, the kid starts to walk a little faster. I feel like I was chasing the forever and yet I still couldn't catch up to him. I was walking walking until finally, he stopped. He then stopped and turned, it looked as if he was going to have a conversation.

"Your name is Rodman right?" Well I guess that skips my full introduction.

"Just call me R. That's what all the ladies call me, ya know, if I had any." I grinned slyly. As I began to walk closer, his phone began to ring. He began to talk on the phone.

"What did he do?" He asked surprised. I wonder what he was talking about. The conversation seemed to be pretty short noticed. He left me pretty confused and curious as to what was going on.

"It came from a box?! What is it called?" He continued. A box? This piqued my interest.

"Arsenal? What kind of name is that?" Needless to say I was wide-eyed when I heard about the Arsenal. How did they even know about that. They didn't look like operatives so...no it just couldn't be.

He then turned to me as he hung up the phone. "Do you know about Arsenal? And if so where can I get one?" I stood there extremely confused. I pretty much swore to secrecy not to tell about the Arsenal, especially to some newcomers. I remained silent.

"All I know is that it can manifest weapons out of thin air. Sounds pretty cool, I can actually do something like that myself." Then let me down to an alleyway as if to show me something.

"COME FORTH GEAR BOOSTER, RAGNAROK AND RENEGADE." He yelled. He didn't had a black roguelike armor appear on his body. A huge scythe on his back, and twin daggers in his hands. "This is my Proto gear." No joke I almost pissed myself.

"Dude, you so cool!" I said like a fanboy. You know what, to hell with it, I might as well show him what I got. I pulled out my black and gold Arsenal.

"You wanted to know what an Arsenal was. Well this is it!" With a flash of gold light I had transformed into my battle gear. My cloak hiding my face. My gold power gauntlets and boots shining in the moonlight. My sniper strapped to my back along with black and gold scythe, my daggers clipped right by my waist. My mp5s strapped to my calves. Oh yeah! I was cool!

"How's about we go on some nightly raids?" I suggested. I had a look of excitement in my eyes.

"Sure, I had time to waste." He said.

"I'm gonna be Rod the god and you can be me sidekick: Proto Man!"

"I'm not a sidekick. We're equals." We Begin The Hop building from building in the night. We then screamed "PLUS ULTRA!!!"


	26. What a Masterpiece

Chapter 26

(SONNA'S POV)

School had finally ended and Zeyco and i were about to head home. We got outside the school and before we left he looked to me and said "Wait right here Sonna." He then took off in a hurry leaving me there. I sat on some stairs and took out my sketch book. I began to draw a man. The man had smooth hair that dropped in his face. He had a scowl on his soft face. His eyes held little interest in them. He was wearing a tank top and had a revolver in his hand.

I stared at the drawing and sighed. It was Chase and seeing him brought a pang of guilt in my chest. I felt terrible for tossing him to the side like that. He was more to me than a coping mechanism for my lack of intimacy. I should've told Chase about Zeyco, but I kinda just forgot to mention it.

"Damn it all…" I said as I ripped the paper. Chase hated me and here I am drawing a picture of him. To make things worse, R seemed to be mad at me as well. I sighed. "What the hell Zeyco…" I wish I knew where he was.

I looked up at the setting sun before I started another drawing. This time it was of Zeyco and his Protosatorian. While I was drawing, I noticed that Zeyco came back. "Hey Sonna, I'm back!" He said. I jumped at the sound of his voice. I quickly tried to hide the drawing of him. He looked at me questioningly and I began to get nervous. "Can I please see the drawing?" He asked with a childish facial expression.

"No…" I said.

He pressed his face to mine and said "Pleeeeeeeeaaaaaaaasssseee…" He then started to poke me and I struggled to keep my composure. I laughed like a small child due to his constant poking. I wanted to fight back but decided that it was a lost cause and gave in. I handed him the book and he stared wide eyed at it.

"That's supposed to be you with Protosatorian. You're also holding the dual magnums I told you to get." I explained to him.

"This is amazing. Sonna you got a talent for this type of stuff. I wish I could draw." My heart fluttered at his compliment. I loved drawing and he would always praise my art.

We began to walk ourselves home. We were almost there when Zeyco stopped and said "Sonna I want you to know...you have this square thing poking out of your pocket." On instinct, I grabbed my Arsenal and swiftly tossed it to my bag. "What was that?" He asked.

"Don't worry about it." I giggled oddly. We walked for about two hours. Once I was finally at my house, I turned to him as he said "See ya Sonna."

I waved lightly and said "Bye Zey." I got to my house closed my door then let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. I looked to my Arsenal and realized I was needed for a mission.

"Oh boy…"


	27. I Hate You, You Hate Fire

Chapter 27

(CHASE'S POV)

Oh hell yeah! Another mission! time to get dirty. I hit my Arsenal button and teleported to HQ. After my last mission, I was feeling pumped. You know, maybe R was right. I am enjoying the thrill of the kill. I got to the briefing room of the base.

"Chase, please have a seat." Blake said to me. The whole gang was here. Even Sonna was here sitting next to Karren. I took the seat next to R as I dapped him up.

"Ok...uh…" Blake started.

"Team Arsenal." R said.

"Right. Ok team Arsenal. We are dealing with a high leveled threat this time. There isn't much info on the guy. Many of our field operatives, say he goes by the name Sun God. He apparently has a thing with fire. You mission is to put an end to this "God" and stop his rise to power. He's trying to build an army and is willing to rule with intimidation. Kill the bastard by any means necessary."

"Got it Blake!" R said.

We headed to the vehicle compound and got into an attack chopper. R was flying, Midnight called shotgun, so that left me Karren and Sonna in the back. To my dismay, I was in the middle of both.

"..." Neither of us dared to say a word for the first few minutes. Karren just kept on glaring at Sonna with hate filled eyes.

"Can I help you Karren." Sonna said quietly.

"Oh no not at all. I don't think I'd want help from a two faced bitch. " Snapped Karren.

"WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM!" Sonna yelled at Karren.

"YOU ARE!" Karren snapped back. "Little miss perfect just wasn't satisfied with Chase, so she just had to go and get another guy. Said guy also happens to be onen of the new kids."

"You don't know a damn thing about Zeyco and me so you can shut the hell up!" Sonna said getting red.

"Or what. You gonna get daddy to fire me?!" Karren said with rage.

"Karren I'm not kidding! Shut up!"

"No! You get to be a two faced bitch and hurt Chase, but still expect his best friends to be quiet? You must not be as smart as everyone thinks."

I saw a flash of guilt in Sonna's eyes. She then looked up and said softly "I didn't mean to hurt anyone. Not Chase, and not R. I just really missed-"

"Your boyfriend, ya we kn-"

"He's not my boyfriend. He just says that a lot…"

Karren scoffed at this and said "Riiiiiiiiiight…"

Sonna sighed with frustration. "Look I'm sorry about what happened to your dad. I had noth-"

Don't talk about my dad like you give a shit. We were all so happy until your stupid ass father decided to get rid of him. Now we're broke as hell and it's all because of the fucking Eclipse family."

"To tell you the trust, I don't like my dad much either." Sonna said with a glare.

"Yeah yeah little Miss Perfect. I bet he forces you to eat fake ass ramen ALL the time due to his lack of income." Karren said sarcastically.

"Would you just leave me alone!" Sonna huffed out.

"I don't know. Can my dad get his job back?"

"I had nothing to do with that!"

"But you also didn't prevent it."

Sonna was pissed now. She was red as hell itself. HOW THE FUCK, COULD I HAVE PREVENTED IT?!"

Karren got quiet for a moment and said "By actually giving a fuck. You know, the opposite of what you did when Chase got his ass kicked." I winced at that. Gee thanks Karren…

"I...I'm so sorry Chase. I didn't mean to hurt or abandon you. I just wanted to see an old friend."

"...you could've told me you liked someone else before you slept on top of me." I said with a scowl.

"I know. I should've told you, but I didn't. I'm sorry. I just, kinda forgot."

"Oh please." Karren said with disgust.

"Guys we're above the drop zone." R said.

We all went Arsenal and jumped out. I drew my katana and smashed through the roof of the warehouse. I landed first with Midnight, Sonna and Karren following behind. There were a ton of guards unloading crates. Among them was a bright ass motherfucker that looked like a small sun. "Guess that's the bastard we gotta kill." I said.

Midnight grabbed two tomahawks and charged through with Karren and her dual Sais cutting up multiple grunts. Sonna had materialized her Flock nines and unloaded shot for shot with R providing cover fire with his smgs. The grunts had M16s and FN FALs. I tossed a flash bang in the air and the shot it with a revolver. It blinded all but the target. I brought my Famas out and shot the fuck outta anyone in my way. The room was left in a bloody mess with us and the target remaining.

"Oh what a shame. Now who will unload all of these crates?" The guy said. I pointed my assault rifle at him.

"Unload this, bitch!" I launched several grenades at the bastard but when the smoke cleared, he was just standing there unarmed. "Ok...maybe not…" He then launched a ball of fire at me. R jumped in front of me and shielded himself with his cloak.

"Thanks for the save R." I told him. Midnight went for a punch with his spiked knuckles, but ended up burning himself.

"FUCK! This hurts like a bitch." He shouted. I looked around for any sign of an opening but couldn't find shit.

I tried to subdue the prick with my chain sickles but he just melted the damn things. I was stumped. I truly was.

I lept up and tossed two flash bangs at him. When they went of, they did nothing but make him brighter. He sighed with content. The bastard…

"What glorious light to power me up." He then propelled himself forward with his own flames and tried to punch R. R's gold gauntlets began to glow as he lifted his arm up in defense. R stood his ground from the attack and sent the guy a vicious left hook. The force of the hit shattered the glass of the whole warehouse, pushed all of us back, and managed to crack the ground beneath him. All of us looked up in shock when the Sun Douche shrugged the hit off like it was nothing. He blasted R back with his wild flames and chuckled.

"Ya know...that kinda hurt…" He said with a wicked smirk.

R was down for the count and Midnight was still trying to ease his burnt hand. The redness seemed to spread across his body and soon enough, he dropped groaning in pain.

"This is bad…" Karren said still trying to shoot him with her Mac 11s. "Any ideas Chase."

"I'm shit outta those at the moment." I looked to Sonna and she looked back with those goddamn eyes I love so much. Even if I was still pissed about earlier and was probably gonna die soon, I could still say she was great to look at. "Fuck it. We need to leave." As much as I wanted to fuck dude up, he was just too strong. When I say go, you two grab R and Midnight and get to the helicopter."

"What about you?!" Sonna and Karren said in unison.

"I'll be fine. I distract him, just get ready." They both nodded.

I grabbed a concussion grenade from my belt. I tossed the grenade right under the bastard. "GO!" The grenade went off I then equipped my Famas once again and shot a grenade at the warehouse ceiling. The roof began to collapse and rubble piled on top of the fucker.

He looked at me and said "Your interference will not be forgotten boy." The debris began to crush him more and more. "I'll achieve my goal and when I do, you be the first person to burn under my rule!" He was then silenced. I ran to the helicopter and jumped in. Sonna was flying an Karren was in the back with a passed out R and Midnight. I strapped into the copilot seat.

"...Did you get him? Is he dead?" I was ninety percent sure he wasn't.

"...I hope." I said exhausted.

Sonna lifted off and we made our way back to HQ.


	28. Tell Me Now

Chapter 28

(CHASE'S POV)

It was late as fuck and we were still flying back. R and Midnight were still out like a light. Midnight's skin was red as hell. It was freakin me the fuck out. Karren fell asleep in the back which left me and Sonna.

"...So...I uh…" She started awkwardly.

"Sonna, relax. You already know what I feel for you, so I'm not gonna beat around the bush. Now I want you to tell me, Zeyco or me?" I said bluntly.

"What?!" She said.

"Pick. Me or him. I want to know so I'm not wasting my time when you clearly want him."

"Chase, you're a real cool guy and I won't lie, I do like you but Zeyco...has been there for me. I mean we've only really met each other last week."

"And yet we still got pretty intimate if you ask me." I replied.

"Please don't take it personally. Zeyco is my childhood friend. I guess seeing him again stirred up some mixed feelings."

"...So you do like him?"

"Yes, but I like you too…"

"...But if you had to choose…"

"Chase, I honestly don't know. Part of me really wants Zeyco, and the other part is trying to move on. To move past chasing my childhood crush and looking at my future, on with someone else." She said boldly.

"And might that someone else be...me?" I asked with hope in my eyes.

"It could be. Who knows." She said with a smirk.

"Not too sure I'm good with that answer. Any way I could tip the scale in my favor?"

"I dunno know. You'd have to be really bold and daring to tip the scale. I'd say Zeyco is pretty bold. The way he pressed his face to mine the other day." She said giggling. I went wide eyed. That weird bastard! Who knows what else he did...what if they kissed already. Damn it! Damn it! DAMN IT!!!

"Chase are you ok? I was just jok-" Yep. I did it. I literally grabbed her face and smashed my lips against hers. I was NOT gonna lose her to the asshole. I brought my hands to a silky blonde hair and ran my fingers through it. I didn't care anymore. FUCK Midnight and FUCK Zeyco. I felt like the man when she gripped my shirt collar and kissed me back. Probably not the best time because the helicopter was on course of a small building. We broke apart and stared at each other. Damn I loved those eyes. She quickly looked back to her front to pilot the helicopter.

I cleared my throat and said to her "Was I daring enough?" Her face was as red as Midnights burns.

"Y-yes...you were...very daring." She stuttered. Guess I did a good job. I smirked the whole flight back.

When we landed, we took R and Midnight to the infirmary. They got their burns treated fairly easily and in no time flat, we were all on our way home.

I was about to take off when Sonna ran up to me and latched her arms onto my shirt. "Just to clarify. You're not mad at me..?"

"No." I said.

She sighed. "Ok." She pecked my cheek and said "See ya tomorrow."

I waved and took off. I'm gonna win her over. You better start weighing your options Zeyco...because Sonna is mine.


	29. Join Us, Jackass

Chapter 29

(SONNA'S POV)

School seemed as if it was longer than usual. I honestly do think that. Zeyco came in the classroom and sat next to me.

"Hey Sonna." He said with a wink.

"Hey Zey." I gave him a small smile.

Class started and the teacher began his biology lecture. Right away Zeyco went to sleep. Class was really boring but I had to pay attention in order to get at least a B.

"Can Mr. Zeyco tell me what the study of biology truly is?"

Zeyco woke up with tired eyes and quickly said "Biology is the natural science that involves the study of life and living organisms, including their physical and chemical structure, function, development, evolution and taxonomy. Modern biology is a vast and eclectic field, composed of many branches and subdisciplines." He then put his head back down.

The class stared at him with shock, envy, and jealousy. I giggled at this. I knew he was smart and he wasn't afraid to show it.

"...V-very good Mr. Zeyco." He then proceeded with his usual lecture.

After class Zeyco and I walked to the gym. We had PE along with R, Chase, Karren and Midnight. As we walked, we began to chat for a bit.

"You seemed a bit pissed in biology. Care to share why?" He asked.

"Well for starters, I have a C in that class. I swear I think I understand it, but once the test come I'm screwed." I said hysterically.

"You study right?"

"Of course I do."

"You ever study with a partner?" He raised a brow as he asked.

"...No." I said with a sigh.

"Well look no further. Zeyco here. A god in your presence!" He said with a smile. "I can help you out tonight. We could go to my place. It's taco night so you can't say no." He remembered how much I loved tacos.

"Well, alright. Nothing funny though." I said with a grin. I noticed him smirk at me and he approached me.

He pinned me to a locker and whispered in my ear "What're my limits…" He then began to nibble on my neck. "Do tell, what are my boundaries?"

"Y-you'll know when you get there." I said briefly.

We were swimming in PE today which was my favorite thing to do in this class. Swimming just took my mind off of the little things in life. Zeyco's recent stunt now left me in a state of confusion. I really don't know who to pick.

(CHASE'S POV)

-In the Locker Room-

"So we're swimming today...damn it…" I said to R. I could swim, I just really hated water.

R had come out of the stalls in his swim trunks. "I love to swim. I gotta be up there with Michael Phelps!" R said with a grin.

I sighed as we walked out to the pool. Everyone was waiting for us due to R and I being late. I saw Sonna sitting at the poolside with the Zeyco kid. This time I wouldn't fuck the situation up. I walked over to her and the douche. "Hey Sonna." I said with a wink. She got red automatically.

"Oh...h-hey Chase." She stuttered. I held in my laugh due to Zeyco's confused face.

I took a seat on the other side of her. Zeyco seemed kinda bitter about this and said "You mind going someplace else? We were talking!"

"Oh pardon me." I gripped her closer to me. She gave a small shriek. "I have something important to tell her as well." I looked at her and whispered in her ear. "Ya look great in your swim clothes. Just saying." Her face was so goddamn red, I thought it would pop. Zeyco seethed with rage. He had a look that meant kill in his eyes.

"Fuck off dude..!" He said.

"Hmm...nah I'm good." I replied back. I then looked back to Sonna. She had a look of worry that meant I probably should leave.

"Well, I'm outta here!" I went to get up and leave when I saw a really faint mark on her neck. NO THE FUCK HE DIDN'T! I walked over to Sonna and said "You doing anything tonight?"

"Ye-" Zeyco cut her off.

"YEAH SHE'S GOING TO MY PLACE TONIGHT SO PISS OFF!!!" He shouted.

"Your place?!" I narrowed my eyes. "To do what?"

"Study. We were gonna study…" Sonna said quickly. I didn't trust Zeyco for a single second. He would probably try to dip his nuggets if you catch my fuckin drift.

"Study huh. What subje-"

"BIOLOGY!" Zeyco snapped.

I had a devilish smirk plastered on my face. "So you WOULDN'T mind me coming over to get some help from a "genius" right?"

"HE'LL NO!" He said.

"Aww c'mon bro. I got like a D in that class." I lied. Bio wasn't even one of my classes.

"No. Kill yourself." He said.

"But you're just studying. It's not like I was interrupting a date or something." Zeyco glared at me.

"We...I was…" He sighed, frustrated. "Ya know what...fine! Join us after school." He got up, grabbed Sonna's hand, and stormed off pissed.

"Checkmate bitch." I said giving him the finger.


	30. Why Study? Let's Fight!

Chapter 30

(R'S POV)

"Are you sure this is a smart idea?" I asked.

"Smart? No. Effective? Fuck yeah!" Chase replied as we headed out of the school.

"But WHY do we all have to come?" Midnight said. Karren agreed with his question.

"Yeah Chase. I had to reschedule my FIRST DATE!" I said a bit pissed.

"I'm telling you, something is up with that Zeyco guy and his brothers. We are ALL going!" Chase said firmly.

"And you're sure you're not just jealous." Karren said.

"YESSSSSSSSSSSS!" He was extremely jealous but I didn't deny the fact that Zeyco, Nero and Nyjii were kinda strange. I then thought back to the night I really met Nyjii. He had that Proto thing. My eyes widened. What if they all had that?

"WE'RE GOING!" I shouted.

Everyone looked at me. "I'll explain later."

We walked until we saw Zeyco and Sonna. Zeyco looked pissed.

"Hey Sonna." Chase said not acknowledging Zeyco.

"Hey...guys?" She looked confused.

"No. No way in hell are all of them coming!" Zeyco shouted pretty quickly.

"But we need help too." I said.

"No." He said bluntly.

"Please!" I said.

"No."

"Please!"

"No."

"Please!" I never lose this war.

"No." He said with grit teeth.

"Please!" I continued.

"No!" He said in a raised voice.

"Please!"

"NO!" He shouted.

"Please!"I said again. Zeyco growled in anger.

"...Ple-"

"FUCKING FINE!!!" He yelled.

I told you, I NEVER lose that war.

We all walked towards Zeyco's home. Him and Sonna were holding hands. Chase was on the left of them, glaring daggers at Zeyco, Midnight was looking at Sonna's ass while Karren was scolding him for being a mindless pervert. I was trailing behind the group still in thought about that Sun God guy, and this whole Prototype thing.

"Well here we are. Home sweet, fucking home." Zeyco said irritated. His home was just some big abandoned factory?

When we stepped inside, I was amazed. It was surprisingly classy in here. As we stepped in, some tall guy in an apron came up to us.

"Zeyco. You didn't tell me you had company."

"Did I really have to?" Zeyco replied.

"Hmm suppose not." He looked at the clock. It said four fifteen on it. "Well I'm off to prepare dinner." We all sat on the huge red couch. Zeyco and Sonna took out their books so we all did the same. Zeyco was tutoring Sonna and Chase was scowling at the whole scene. Midnight fell asleep and Karren had gone to the bathroom. Chase crumpled up a piece of paper and threw it at Zeyco.

"Aye! Knock it off." Zeyco snapped

Chase threw another one and Zeyco dodged it.

"Cut it out before I break your fingers!"

Chase chuckled and Sonna sighed in annoyance.

Just then, Nero came up from the basement soaking wet and Nyjii walked into the living room area. They both looked up confused. Nyjii gave me a raised eyebrow.

"We're studying." I said stupidly.

"...right…" Nyjii gave us one last tired glance at Sonna, then walked away.

Nero shook the wetness off of him, like a wet dog. The water droplets flew right at Midnight, waking him.

"The FUCK?!" Midnight glared at Nero. "You little bitch!"

Nero glared at him and snarled. "Why are you in my home?!"

"Because Chase is an over obsessed dickhead!" Chase narrowed his eyes at Midnight and gave him the finger.

Chase then looked up at Sonna and Zeyco. Both of which engaged in a tight embrace.

"Thanks Zey. You and your brain are life savers."

Chase glared and got up from the couch.

"FUCK! I'm bored!" Midnight whined. I would have to agree. Things were kinda stale.

Zeyco and Sonna began to put away their belongings. "Thanks for the effort morons, you did great." He said sarcastically. "You can all leave now."

As he said this, the tall apron guy came back and said " Now Zeyco, no need to be rude." He then looked to us. "Please, all of you stay for dinner."

"But Kairo! You can't let them stay here!" Nero glared at Midnight

. "Especially not him." He pointed at Midnight. "He sucks ass!"

"NERO! SILENCE YOURSELF! NOW!" The man shouted.

Nero got quiet immediately. The man then said in a low tone "Everyone to the dinner table, now!" This guy gave me chills.

-At The Table-

(CHASE'S POV)

Not gonna lie, the food was bomb as fuck. Mr. Blade sure could cook his ass off. The shit was fucking delicious. Too bad I couldn't fully enjoy it due to Zeyco and Sonna's constant flirting. It made me sick. I was beyond done with this shit.

Zeyco got up from his seat and took Sonna's hand. "C'mon. I wanna show you something." She raised a brow but followed regardless.

I glared hate at the bastard as he led her up to his room.

R nudged me and said in my ear "We need to talk. Now!"

I gave him a questioning look as I followed him out the dining room. "What R?"

"It's about the people in this house. They're all real strange. They have this weird thing going on with them." He said.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"I told Karren to do some snooping and she found an old beat up journal. It was about the Recoil Project!" My ears perked up from the new found information. "The project was made to assemble genetically enhanced soldiers. There were three test subjects and those three were called the race of Prototypes. Those three were Zeyco, Nyjii, and Nero."

I was shocked with the info. I knew there was something strange with those the motherfuckers, but fucking weaponized test subjects? Even I wasn't expecting that shit. A thought then occurred to me.

"Where is Sonna at?" I asked.

"...probably still with Zey-" I didn't let him finish. I bolted up the stairs and busted through the locked door. I swear I never glared harder at a mother fucker.

"What's going on in here guys?!" I said with grit teeth. They were on the pricks bed. Sonna straddled to his lap.

"Nothing you should be concerned with." The bastard said. A faint hint of a smirk was on his face.

Sonna's face was red as hell. Her clothes disheveled and her hair was all over the place. What really fucked me up were the marks across her neck and shoulders. The fucker gave her hickeys which meant he was getting real physical. His hands were firmly placed on her ass as he said "Why don't you get the hell outta here before you have a little temper tantrum. Ok kiddo?" He said in a taunting voice. My eye twitched and my hands felt loose.

I went up to them, hint of malice in my eyes. "Sonna...move...NOW!" She looked at me with worry.

"Chase, no. DON'T!" I tossed her aside and stared at the prick with hatred. He looked at me with a cocky ass grin.

"Oh I'm pissing myself now." He said with a sarcastic chuckle. "Watcha gonna do hotshot? If you came a minute later, then I probably would be engaged in sexual intercourse with my lovely Sonn-"

~WHAAAM~

I punched him. I punched him hard. The force of the hit actually sent him through the wall. He dropped to the harsh ground outside with a hard ~THUMP~

He went to get up but I wouldn't let him. I jumped through the opening in the wall and dive bombed right on top of him. I grabbed his throat and held him in place.

"I'M GONNA FUCKING KILL YOU!" I shouted as I went Arsenal. I tossed him back towards the house once again sending him through a wall. He smashed into the living room. I stepped in and said "Get up fuckboy!"

Everyone looked at me with concerns and or shock. I didn't care though. I meant what I said. This jackass was gonna fucking die.

Mr. Blade looked at the hole in the wall and sighed. "Well, so much for home sweet home." He then went back to his book. Nyjii and Nero walked up to Zeyco as he climbed to his feet.

"Are you ok?" Nyjii asked.

"Shut up! I'm fine!" Zeyco said. "Tell me something Chase. You ever fight a god?" Narcissistic bastard.

"Yeah. he's under a shit load of rocks!" I said charging at him. We went in blow for blow. He slipped one of my punches and landed a double jab on me. I staggered back from the hit.

(MIDNIGHT'S POV)

I woke up from my nap to see Chase squaring up against Sonna's egotistic boyfriend. Well, I guess it's fight time. I went Arsenal and jawed the fuck outta Nero's weird ass. He was sent to the floor as he glared at me. "What the FUCK!" He shouted charging at me like an animal.

(R'S POV)

This whole "study session" hit the fan pretty quickly. I sighed and looked at Nyjii. He had a look of uninterest.

"Can you believe this?' I said. He then looked at me and glared. "What?" I said confused.

"Sorry about this." He said.

"Wait what?" He kicked me up and I went through three floors and a roof. I landed on the hard grass leaving a small crater. "...Ow…" Well, this is gonna be something. I went Arsenal and charged at him.


	31. A God vs A Godslayer

Chapter 31

(CHASE'S POV)

I was beyond done with this shit. FUCK Zeyco. The way he was all up on Sonna...ya know what. FUCK Sonna, too. Everytime I come close to establishing a fucking relationship with her ass, she tosses me away and runs off to fuckboy Zey. Every fucking time. Yeah, so maybe they are childhood friends. I get that and everything, but when you fucking kiss me back and then go get all sexy for some other fucker, you started doing too much.

Zeyco came up to me smirking. "You got guts dude, and I'm about to show them too ya." He then charged at me with a swift roundhouse to my ribs. I lifted my knee to check the kick. Once I blocked his attack. I jumped up and connected with a flying knee. He held his chin in anger.

"Yeah! Suck it bitch!" I said.

He then closed his eyes and said "Intellectually Enhanced." Veins popped up on his forehead. He opened his now glowing eyes. "Hurry up and bring it Hawthorne!" He said confidently. How the fuck did he know my last name? The bastard, goddamn bastard...

I went for a tornado kick, but he blocked it and pushed me back with a force palm. I collided with a red car parked outside, across the street. I left a nasty ass dent in the damn thing. I pushed myself off of the fucked up car and glared at the prick in question.

"C'mon ya fucking pussy!" He shouted. I snarled at that fucking insult. He smirked and said "What? You don't like my name for you? Well that sucks because your a fucking pussy. Pussy, pussy, pussy PUSSY! YOU. ARE. A. PUSSY!" I was real pissed. I was gonna really fucking kill his ass. "What's wrong you pus-" I materialized my revolvers and shot him repeatedly in his chest.

"Die die DIE! YOU SICK FUCK!" I shouted furiously. He collapsed to the floor, sprawled out with sixteen bullets in his body. I exhaled deeply as I began to walk away from the corpse. I had no regrets about killing the bastard. Fuck him. I should just head home. I was snapped out of my thoughts when I heard the bastard mumble something.

"...Repair...k-kit…" The bastard muttered. Within seconds, he was back on his feet, smirking. I stared wide eyed at him.

"B-but...but I...you were…" I was so confused.

"So you like guns right? I got two guns for you! Come forth, LASET and RIZA!" TWO guns appeared in his hands. They looked like red and blue desert eagles. The red one pulsated with blue lightning and the blue one pulsated with red lightning. I brought out my revolvers and we pointed our guns at each other. "You think those chump ass guns are gonna help you?"

"They'll be enough to shut your ugly ass up!" I said. He grinned.

"...Right…" We then unloaded shot for shot. Both of our bullets collided with each other. I ran up and did a frontflip kick to his skull. He got on some breakdance type of shit and did a windmill, sweeping my legs from under me. I landed with a hard thud. I kicked myself up and went for a swing with my right hand. He caught my attack and tossed me over his shoulder with a judo throw. I landed on my back once again. I felt my back crack the concrete. He walked back and picked up the guns he dropped when I kicked him.

"Just stay down. You do NOT wanna get up." I glared at him as I climbed to my feet.

"I'm quite stubborn ya prick." I called for one of my revolvers. I took aim from the hip and began to fan fire the fuck outta the thing.

He dipped and dodge all of the bullets. He did a side flip and fired off two shots. I dodged one of the shots, but the other one struck my arm. I winced in pain, but then my arm began to feel numb.

"W-what t-the...fuck!" My wounded arm slumped to my side, limp and lifeless. "What did you do to me?!" The numbness was spreading.

"I got you with my lightning rounds. Your body is getting hit with a bit of paralysis." He walked up to my stunned body. "In other words, you're fucked ya pussy."

I then head butted the jackass right in the nose. His shit was leaking and I smirked at the bastard.

"You motherfu...you know what…" He sent me a nasty ass boot to the face. I was skidding across the street from his harsh front kick. "I'm really getting sick of your ass."

"Ditto, ya rotten bitch." I said as I lifted myself to my feet. "Now…" I materialized my katana in my hands. "How would you like to be a severed motherfucker?"

"Not as much as Sonna wants me." I grit my teeth in anger.

"You just signed your own death wish ya prick!" I lept up at him and went for an overhead slash. He rolled out of the was and lifted his hands up.

"Come forth, Bo La Indra!" A long straight steel staff formed in his hands. The tips of the damn thing had electricity protruding from it (Pretty much Nightwing's staff in Injustice). He twirled the thing around him and held a stoic look on his face.

"You think your bitch ass stick is gonna stop my katana? Damn, for someone who is so smart, you're pretty stupid." His stoic look turned into a grin. He rushed at me with rapid swings. I parried them with my blade. I pushed him back and lunged at him for a quick side slash. He stopped me with a well placed poke to my gut with the tip of his nut ass staff. Electricity coursed throughout my body. I was now struggling to stand once again.

"Aww. What's the matter? You look shocked that I hit you. Oh lighten up. I just wanted to get to the point." He began to chuckle to himself at his own whack ass jokes. I was still recovering from the last time he shocked me. This shit was getting real fucking old, real fucking fast.

I slashed at him again. He effortlessly avoided all of my attacks. They were much slower and weren't as calculated. I went for another swing but the bastard swung his stick across my goddamn cheek. I collapsed on the floor in pain. I held my now slightly swollen cheek. The shit hurt like a bitch. "Fuck...me…" I said panting.

I was trying to get to my feet but the paralysis was really setting in now. I couldn't get up. Zeyco walked up to me grinning. "Well...like I said…" He crouched down to me and said slowly. "...Pussy."

He was now walking off. The bastard wouldn't even give me the satisfaction of death. He just walked off, leaving me on the cracked sidewalk. I grit my teeth with hatred. No...I can't lose to him...another goddamn time! I closed my eyes and tried to reach out to my Arsenal. I was losing consciousness and was about to pass out out right there until I heard my Arsenal's Australian voice speak to me. The last thing I heard before I whited out was "UPLOADING NEURAL LINK!"

 **A/N: Keep in mind this is the start of the fights between the Prototypes and Team Arsenal. Me and RodtheGod are both working on seperate fight scenes between each of our story's characters. I highly do recommend that you read Prototypes by RodtheGod in order to get get the most out of our crossover.**


	32. Animal Instinct

Chapter 32

(MIDNIGHT'S POV)

"I'm gonna take you fucking arms, and force feed them to you, WHILE YOU ARE HANGING FROM YOUR FUCKING ARTERIES!" Nero said to me with a twitch in his eyes.

"Bring it you overgrown mutt! I'll fuck you up!" Nero got into a feral stance and then charged at me swinging his claws wildly.

I grabbed one of his arms and decked him in his eyebrow. My spiked knuckles left a gash right above his left eye.

Blood seeped down the left side of his face. He glare at me for a moment but then had a wicked smirk. He let his fangs show. "C'mon dude." He then punched me in the gut. The impact knocked the spit outta me. "See. Now that's a punch." I then went for an uppercut. His chin didn't even budge. He just stood there grinning.

"...fuck…" He then tossed me into a door. I smashed right through the damn thing. As I went to get up, he pounce on me like some freaking tiger or some shit like that. He swiped at my chest with his sharp ass claws. My bare chest was leaking and I was pissed. I brought out a tomahawk and sliced it into his shoulder.

"YOU BASTARD! FUCKING OW! I OUGHT TO-" I cut him off with a well placed kick to his abdomen. I sent him back a few feet and lifted myself up. He dislodged the tomahawk from his arm. Blood spewed out of his wound and flooded the floor. "I can't wait to rip out you GODDAMN LUNGS!"

"Try it ya ugly bitch!" I gripped my other tomahawk in my hand. He got on all fours and charged at me. I went for a slash but he slipped my hit and shoulder charged me through more furniture. He lunged at me with ferocity. I chucked a lamp at him and it smashed right against his face. He dropped to the floor with a sick thud. I went to go attack his ass but yet again, he had other plans. He punched the ground, creating a small earthquake. I stumbled and dropped my tomahawk. The whole goddamn house was shaking. Shit was all over the place. I jumped up and materialized my shotguns. I shot the fucker like twenty times. He had marks and wounds all over him but wasn't fazed by any of my attacks. I swear this freak was fucking Wolverine or some shit like that. He was NOT human.

"Yeah. Go ahead and bring out your little toys. All I need are my skills!" He snarled viciously.

"I'm gonna get Karren to make general tso outta you ya freak!" His eyes became slits and his claws got sharper.

"I'm gonna enjoy your death." He snarled.

"And I'm gonna enjoy you with fried rice you mother fucker." I materialized a throwing knife and tossed it at him. He sidestepped it and threw a jumping spin hook kick at my face. I was sent twirling to the floor. I pushed off the ground and jabbed a knife into his thigh.

"OW!" He yanked the blood soaked knife out of his leg and grabbed me. He lifted me off of the floor and suplexed me into a table.

"You motherfucker!" I materialized an M16 assault rifle and went for a couple of shots. He rolled to cover and growled.

"Nothing but chump ass toys!" He said.

"Suck my dick you fucking man bitch!" I snapped back as I continued my onslaught of bullets. "Quit hiding ya little shit."

He lept up from his cover and sent me a nasty drop kick to the face. My nose was definitely broken now. I crashed through another unfortunate door. I landed in the kitchen. He stepped in and smirked at me. He went to pounce on me again so I smacked the shit outta him with a frying pan.

~BANG~

~BANG~

~WHAAAAAAM~

I kept smacking him with the damn thing until it broke off of the handle. His cat like eyes held rage within them. He kicked me off of him and I hit the sink.

"Wanna see how I trained?" He turned on the faucet and let the steaming water flood the sink. "Better hold your breath." He dunked my head into the scorching hot water. Not only was I drowning, but I was getting boiled like a fucking egg!

I tossed my arms around frantically trying to escape the hot water. I sent him a hard ass elbow to the ribs and kicked him off of me. I lifted my face out of the sink and glared. "You crazy prick!" We charged at each other. We were now engaged in a brutal wrestling match.

"Fuck you." I said to him and I had him in a headlock.

"No, fuck you!" He flipped me over and then chucked me out of the kitchen. I was really getting pissed now.


	33. Mach 10 AssWhooping

Chapter 33

(R'S POV)

I was lighting the whole place up with my dual MP5s. I scattered my shots throughout the area. Nyjii deflected all of my fire with his daggers. I ran out of ammo so I tossed my two trusty smgs away and grabbed my daggers.

"C'mon Nyjii! Show me something special!" I vanished in front of him with my twin daggers. We parried our blades with each other as we clashed. Sparks flew all around us with each collision. He went for a swift stab so I spun to my right and slashed at his chest. The cut drew blood and he seemed to wince at this. He jumped back and looked at me.

"Catch me if you can!" He then began to vanish out of the neighborhood and into the city. My left eye twitched with excitement.

"This is gonna be so much FUN!" I vanish stepped after him into the city.

~POOF~

I ended up stepping next to him. I smirked and he held a look of surprise. "How'd you catch up so quick?!" He said as we vanished from building to building.

"I'm too good at ninja vanishing." I said with a wild grin. "Now get ready." I kicked him harshly off of the building we were on. He landed on a now flattened car. The car alarm went off. It's loud sound mixing with the screaming of panicked civilians. I dropped down and stared at him. He hopped off of the crushed car and ran at me. We went blow for blow, each of us trading hits. He hit me with an open palm strike and sent me into an office building.

As I got up, I was sent through some guy's cubicle. Nyjii came to attack again so I grabbed a stapler and clocked him with it. He was sent tumbling out of a door and ended up rolling down three flights of stairs. I was running at him to continue my offense. He saw me, got up and ran out of the door which lead to the back of the building. He looked at me as I opened the back door with panic.

"Gotcha now!" He then smirked at me. "...Uh... what's with the face?"

He inhaled deeply and said "EXTREME ENHANCEMENT!"

He began to glow with a red aura. With unknown speed, he punched me. I was doing my best to evade, but I was struggling. He faked a punch to my face, only to deliver a nasty push kick to my chest, crashing me into a dumpster. I noticed that the alleyway was cold and the sun was about to set. I went in for a quick cross jab combo but he sidestepped it and sent me a brutal double kick. I don't know what he did to himself to up his abilities like this, but I had to get on his level before I got my ass kicked. I activated my Power Gauntlets and Boots.

"Now let's see what happens when I even the odds." I said with narrowed eyes.

We ran at each other. Both of us sprinting from opposite ends of this long alleyway. We were nearing each other and before you know it, we both attacked at the same time. I was sent into the back of the alleyway. Nyjii flew back out into the street. He went to get up, only to be hit by a bus. I went to go pursue him. As I was walking out of the alleyway, my phone began to ring.

I looked at the caller ID. I grinned when I saw who it was.

"Hello my sweet." I said answering the phone.

"Hey R." She said in her soft tone. I really did love her voice. "Are we still good for tomorrow night?" I did feel really bad for having to cancel our date tonight. Damn you Chase!

"Of course. Again, I'm really sorry I had to cancel tonight though. Something came up last minute and I had to leave on short notice." I really was sorry.

"Don't worry about it R. I'm not gonna explode because we had to reschedule. If you're busy, then you're busy." She was so understanding and it made me happy to know that she wasn't pissed.

"I promise to make it up to you tomorrow. I got something special planned! Just you wait-" I was cut off due to a hard punch to the face. "...Hey Rave...I'm uh... I'm gonna call you back." I said holding my nose.

"Are you ok? Please don't do anything that will get you killed. You have a tendency of doing things like that." She said worried.

"Don't sweat it babe!" I cracked neck. "I got this." I then sent a glare at Nyjii. He was cracking his knuckles. I was surprised that he came back so easily. He then started running at me. " Love you Raven! Bye!" I said frantically as I hung up. Before I knew it I was getting sent through the air. I did a backflip and landed on my feet. He brought out his hand.

"COME FORTH RENEGADE!" His cool ass scythe appeared in his outstretched hand.

"Scythe fight time?" I materialized my black and gold scythe. "Let's do this!"

We sprinted at each other once again. When we were in range, he swung high at me so I ducked and swung low at his legs with a spin slash. He jumped up to avoid contact. He then pointed the scythe at me. He pressed a button and the thing grew longer.

"Well...damn." I had to think. He had more reach than me now. This was gonna be harder than before. I dipped and parried some of his swings but suffered multiple cuts in the process. He slid back, distancing himself from me. I was confused to say the least. He pressed another button on the scythe. The thing grew EVEN MORE!

I looked at him wide eyed. This was getting ridiculous. He smirked and looked at me. "What was that you said about evening the odds?" Yeah, I couldn't handle this. I had to distract him somehow. Just for a split second. That's all I'd really need. An idea popped up in my head. I materialized a dagger and threw it at him. The second his eyes focused on the incoming dagger, I vanished to a roof top.

"Let's see how you do against a kick-ass sniper." I mumbled to myself as my Barrett 50 cal. sniper materialized.


	34. Let It Die

Chapter 34

(CHASE'S POV)

"You know, it's kinda funny how you refer to yourself as a god." I said to the bastard as I wiped a drip of blood from my lip. "And how I am more than happy to say I just became an atheist."

He grinned at me as he came closer. "You sure are quite bold for a pussy." He said as he sent a kick to my chest. "Why are you even fighting in the first place?"

That was a good question. Why the fuck was I fighting? It was clear to me that Sonna fucked with him more than me. He was a way better fighter with his weird ass abilities, and yet here I am, still trying to throw down with this bastard. "Guess I just really hate losing."

He then smirked. "Your stupid ass pride is what's gonna be the death of you." He threw two jabs at me. The first connected but I caught the other. I twisted his wrist and he winced in pain.

"Two things asshole." I twisted his wrist harder until I heard a nasty pop. "One. I will fight anyone who gets on my fucking nerves." I then sent him a left hook to his temple. He dropped to the floor. I crouched down and gripped his shirt collar. "Two. Don't call me A FUCKING PUSSY!!!" I began punching him repeatedly. His nose and lips were now leaking. I kept going and going, each punch harder than the last. I kept hitting him until I heard him speak something inaudibly. "What did you say, dickhead?"

"P...pro... Protosatorian...COME FORTH PROTOSATORIAN!" He shouted. Just then, a large mech suit dropped from the sky and landed right behind us.

"The fuck is that?!" I asked frantically. He grinned like a bastard.

"The thing that's gonna fuck your shit dude!" He then looked back towards the machine. "INITIATE AUTO PILOT OFFENSIVE CONTROL THIRTY THIRTY-TWO!" The goddamn thing whipped out two fucking miniguns from it's arms and S.A.M. rocket launchers on it's shoulders.

"...Fuck my life…" I ran as fast as I could to avoid the storm of bullets. I ran behind somebody's car for cover. The damn thing was covered in bullet holes. The fucking windows were non-existent for shit sake. This is bad...Fuck that! This is horrible!

I materialized my Famas and went to town on the thing. My little ass bullets weren't doing shit to the machine. I launched several grenades at it. Again... nothing happened to it.

"Fuck..! What do I do now?" I said to myself. I then noticed Zeyco begin to mount the thing. He got in with a wicked smirk.

"So you wanna hide behind cars right?" He fired off two rockets at me. I got to my feet and sprinted away from the oncoming blast. The force of the explosion sent me flying into someone's house. I crashed right through the bedroom window of a young boy.

"Woah! You look cool! Who are you?" He asked me in awe.

"Thanks for the compliment kid but my name is classified, so just call me...DayBreak." I said. It had a nice ring to it. I lifted myself off of the crushed dresser. "Well...back to the fight." I lept through the broken window as I materialized a chain sickle. I tossed it at the mech suit. I pulled and yanked myself closer to it. Once in range, I sent a nasty double leg kick to the head of the thing. It stumbled back a bit. I could then hear Zeyco's nut ass chuckle again.

"Wow. I think that attack tickled." The bastard said. Both of the minigun arms turned into fists. The mech suit threw a punch. I flew back into the same house as before, this time in another room. I busted a hole through the wall and landed into a hanging flat screen TV. I shattered the thing on impact.

"Who the hell are you?" A man said to me. His girlfriend or wife just stared at me in shock. They were both butt ass naked. Guess I interrupting something. His girl was pretty good looking but I could've lived my life fine without seeing the guy's three inch foreskin.

"Someone that is extremely pissed!" I charged through the hole and landed onto their front yard.

"Took you long enough to get back." He said. I needed a plan. No, fuck that. I needed a stronger weapon. Everything I had wasn't gonna cut it. ...Cut it…cut. An idea then popped into my head. Oh yeah!

"Alright dickhead! Happy hour is over!" I materialized my katana and charged at him. He went for a heavy straight punch so I jumped and began to run up it's arm. I jumped once again and stabbed my sword into the top section of which I assumed was the cockpit. I shoved it in there good before I pushed off and propelled myself into the air. I materialized my dual revolvers and took aim. "DON'T CLOSE YOUR EYES!" I shot multiple times at my target. The first bullet made contact with my katana's hilt. The second one stacked on top of the first, pushing the blade in more, the third stacked on top of the second pushing the blade even further. This went on for about fifteen shots. The bullets stacked on top of one another and the blade was in deep. I lined up for my last shot and said "Go fuck yourself." I took my last shot while still in mid air. Shot sixteen pushed all of the bullets forward. My katana pushed right through the thing.

"YOU MOTHERFUCKER!" The hatch to his mech opened for a moment. My blade was stuck in the right side of his chest. Blood seeped out of his mouth. He grit his teeth. "I'm done playing with your...AAAAAHHHH!" He yanked the blade from his now bleeding chest. "Fucking toys." He tossed my katana to the floor. "One centimeter…" He said in anger. I raised an eyebrow at his words. "You missed my heart by one centimeter…" He then glared. "You damn near killed me goddamn son of a bitch." He closed the hatch to his mech suit. "I'm not gonna let that happen again. I'm killing your ass." He then grabbed me with both of the mech suit's hands. "Would you like to be crushed to death?" He asked in a menacing tone.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!" I let out a harsh scream as he squeezed tighter and tighter. He was cracking my arms and ribs at this point. He kept going and then he tossed me away. I was struggling to get back on my feet. I looked up and noticed that the chest of the mech was glowing a bright red color.

"I don't care if this drains my battery, you're gonna die!" The bastard lost it. He was charging some kind of beam. I finally got to my feet and huffed out exhausted.

"I don't suppose you have anything that will save me, huh Arsenal..?" I asked it. It responded to my desperate plea with a huge ass gun.

"RAILGUN MK.II READY FOR OFFENSIVE COMBAT!" It said to me. Railgun?!

"How many shots do I got?" I asked it.

"ONLY ONE BLAST REMAINING! IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU CHOOSE YOUR SITUATION WISELY! THE RAILGUN MUST RECHARGE FOR ONE EARTH WEEK!" Goddamn. A whole fucking week?! That kinda sucks ass.

"Fuck it. At this point, it's life or death." The mech's beam looked ready to fire so I took aim with the long ass weapon on my right shoulder.

"Well Chase, it's been nice knowing ya...not really." He then shouted from his mech "Particle Beam!" A large blast of red energy came flying at me.

"To hell with it!" I pressed the trigger and a bright white blast flew at Zeyco's red one. The force pushed me back a bit as our two blast collided. Red and white flashed throughout the neighborhood. I was sent straight to the floor with a hard thud. Zeyco dropped right out of the mech. We were both in a deep ass crater and were both sprawled out on the ground. I groaned in pain. I crawled up to the grounded Zeyco. When I got to him, he had a quick look of panic.

"H-how...are...y-you able...to fight those...so m-much...more...gifted than... yourself?" He didn't even try to crawl away. I began to give him some chump ass punches to his face. My whole arm was broken but I didn't care. I truly didn't.

"B-because...I ain't a... narcissistic... piece of shit." I said between my whack ass hits. "Even before we fought...I knew you...were more skilled than...me. But you...underestimated me. You...call yourself a god...but I will never worship you...ya... rotten... bastard…" I gave up my senseless punches and dropped to the floor. "And... about Sonna...you can keep...her. She ain't worth...all of...this shit." He was still silent. "Yep...you fu... fucking win...ya prick." I then passed out. I was bloody, broken, and now once again, I felt alone.


	35. Cat Fight! Cat Fight

Chapter 35

(KARREN'S POV)

Everything was out of control. The whole factory was in shambles, Midnight and Nero got dragged away by Mr. Blade, Chase and Zeyco were tearing up the neighborhood and R was all the way in the city fighting Nyjii... needless to say this was freaking insane. I looked at Sonna, aka the slut queen. She was just sitting there all wide eyed and silent. I walked up to her with a glare. "You sure do love fucking with my friend's emotions."

"..." She remained silent.

"So who's mouth taste better? Chase or Zeyco's?" I asked.

"To think he actually liked you. He actually trusted you…" I pressed on.

"And you toss him away like you do with every other guy that shows you affection. All for what? Some weird egotistical freak that just so happens to be your childhood buddy? I say fuck him-"

~SMACK~

The bitch slapped me across the face. She glared at me and I glared back.

"You don't know anything about me or Zeyco! You should really just shut the hell up." She snapped.

"I know that you're his little fuck buddy, ya skank!" I slapped her back. Her pale face, red from the impact. "You're a heartless bitch!" I yelled back.

"What is your fucking problem?! I already feel bad that they're fighting over me, you don't have to make things worse." She said.

"Shit already hit the fan. Look around you! Everyone is fighting each other, and it's all your fault! You knew how much he struggles with his emotions and yet here you are at some douchebag's house getting ready to let him fuck your GODDAMN BRAIN OUT OF COMMISSION!" I screamed. She shoved me harshly.

"If you care so much than why don't YOU go out with him? You seem to "understand" him more than me anyway." She said. I lowered my gaze slightly.

"I can't...not ever again…" I couldn't even think of being with him. Not after we broke up sophomore year. We made it clear that we were better off being friends anyway. We knew our limits and decided that it was best to just be like siblings to one another. To be honest, it was me that made the decision. I liked Chase a lot, but he was still so sunk within his depression and my family and I were dealing with poverty. All in all, we were both in a bad state and weren't comfortable with a romantic relationship with each other, so I recommended that we stayed close friends. He agreed and we moved on ever since. The problem is that I did still miss those times, but I also was glad we got to stay close with each other along with Midnight. They were my best friends and I hated to see them hurt.

I was snapped out of my thoughts as I saw Sonna's confused stare.

"What, slut?" I asked.

"You and Chase were a thing?" She asked.

"A long time ago. We both moved past that. He moved on to you and yet you toss him to the side!" I said angry.

"I told you that I was sorry!" She said in a raised voice.

"You're always oh so sorry and yet you go back a break his heart again! You couldn't care less!" I hissed at her.

"Can't you just listen to reason Karren?" She asked. I was officially pissed now. I punched the bitch right in her perfect ass face. She turned back and glared at me. "Fine! Act like a child!" She then went Arsenal.

"So that's how you want to handle this, huh?" I went Arsenal and charged at her. We went back and forth, striking each other with vicious attacks. I sent a knee straight up to her chin, lifting her head up. I then punched her to the wall of the factory. She left a small dent in it. She pushed herself off and rush at me while going. She jumped up and sent me a drop kick to my chest. Her kick sent me to the floor, she then climbed on top of me and held a Glock to my face.

"Ya know what, Karren. Killing you probably wouldn't be so bad." She smirked as she said that.

"Go ahead and prove why you don't deserve Chase's affection." I responded with a glare. She narrowed her eyes at me and I grinned.

"You are really annoying." She said. I swiftly grabbed the gun from her and rolled us over. I tossed her gun to the side and began to punch her. She caught one of my punches and kicked me off of her. I chucked down some smoke bombs and ran out of the factory. When I stepped outside there was an enormous crater in the street.

"Damn Chase, what happened?" I muttered to myself. Just then three arrows whizzed past me. Sonna stepped out of the smoke with her black and red bow in her hands. She materialized a red, glowing arrow. I materialized my sais and rushed at her, deflecting arrows with my two weapons. I front flipped and slammed down on her but she blocked my attack with her bow and kicked me away. She then jumped up in the air and fired off five arrows at once. I rolled backwards and avoided them. My eyes widened when they began to beep. I took off in the opposite direction. The arrows detonated. I materialized my Mac 11s and she materialized her Glocks. We fired off our shots simultaneously. One of my bullets pierced her left shoulder and her's went through my right thigh. I was slightly limping now and was struggling to stand. Her left arm slumped down and dropped her gun.

"What's the matter? You ready to quit?" I asked her.

"Says you. How's leg doing?" She responded.

"Still good enough to kick your frilly, two timing ass!" I smirked as I looked at her bleeding shoulder. "Looks like you'll have to use your right arm to jerk Zeyco's lame ass off now."

She glared and tackled me. We flew into the giant crater behind me. She was attempting to strangle me a I was strangling her back. We both applied more pressure until we both collapsed to the floor, gasping for air. We crawled to our feet and were about to continue our little battle when we heard the sound of coughing next to us. We looked to our right and saw Zeyco struggling to crawl out of the crater, only to slide back down leaving a trail of blood behind him. He rolled back down the crater and stopped next to a knocked out Chase. Both looked terrible. Chase had cuts, and bullet holes in him. His arms were bent in a sickening way.Zeyco had gashes, bruises but most notably, what looked to be an open stab wound in his chest. He began to cough profusely.

"Oh my God! Zeyco what happened?!" Sonna said as she ran up to him. I rolled my eyes at her and walked to Chase.

Zeyco coughed as he spoke to her. "He...he sta... stabbed me. I'm...bleeding...out Sonna. Y-you have...to get me...to Kairo." He began coughing even more. His face was pale as hell. He really did look almost dead. Sonna lifted him over her shoulder and walked him back to the beat up factory. I scoffed at how she pretty much ignored Chase. I crouched down next to him and lifted him up.

"You sure did give him a good ass fight, didn't you?" I began to walk him up. He was still unconscious. Guess he wasn't expecting you to be able to hold your own. I walked him back to the factory and laid him on the red couch. Just then, Mr. Blade came through a door holding a knocked out Midnight. Behind them was a glaring Nero. He was holding his mouth in pain. "What happened to Midnight?" I asked Mr. Blade.

"I gave him and Nero a legit fight, and he force Nero to quit." He said. Nero glared hate at him.

I nodded and then a thought occurred to me. Where the hell was R?


	36. A Dream Deferred

Chapter 36

"Chase are you sure we should be doing this?"

"Sonna just trust me." He then began to lick her neck up and down. Sonna's moans echoed the room. Chase then lifted his head and stared at her with loving eyes. She pressed her lips to his. When they're mouths parted, she whispered softly into his ear.

"Chase…"

"Yeah Sonna?"

"Chase I…" She continued.

"Yeah..?

"I...Iove Zeyco Chase! I'm sorry."

"...What?" Chase said confused.

(CHASE'S POV)

I woke on the whack ass red couch I fell asleep on. I took in my surroundings and BOY was I confused. The whole factory got fucked up. I'm not kidding. The place was legit shit. A thought then came to me. Where were Zeyco and Sonna?

I sighed and then recall my last words to Zeyco.

"And... about Sonna...you can keep...her. She ain't worth...all of...this shit." He was still silent. "Yep...you fu... fucking win...ya prick."

Well that's that... I really did lose again. Guess it was my choice though…

I got up and saw Karren asleep on the floor. She let me take the couch and was watching over me. I crouched down and whispered to her.

"Thanks Karren. I owe you one." She really was a good friend to me. I swear I'll make it up to her

I then heard footsteps and I noticed Sonna walking down the stairs. I looked back at her and saw the guilt in her eyes.

She let out a deep breath and walked next to me. I looked at her ruby colored eyes, only this time, I just couldn't bring myself love them anymore. I knew it would all be a waste anyway. I couldn't be attracted to her. Now that the prick is here, she only really has eyes for him. She began to say something but then stopped herself.

This silence was driving me nuts. It wasn't like the comfortable silences that we used to have. This silence was just awkward as hell. I sat down and sighed once again. I hated this feeling of uncertainty. I wanted her so bad. I truly did, but I knew deep down I just couldn't. I did like her, maybe even loved her but all the trouble for her just wasn't worth the bullshit. At this point, she wanted the dickhead and you know what. I...I just don't give a fuck anymore.

"Chase I-"

"Shut up…just shut the fuck up Sonna. Please don't feed me anymore bullshit. I'm done with all the mystery, all the fighting, and all of the...pain…" I gave her a blank stare as I spoke. My words came out cold and emotionless.

"But Chase I-" I cut her off again.

"Sonna please. Just go with Zeyco and...and leave me the FUCK ALONE!!!" I lost my temper and snapped at her. "You know what, FUCK Zeyco and FUCK YOU!" I didn't notice the wetness in my eyes. I don't think I was crying but I couldn't really tell.

I began to walk out. I couldn't look at her anymore. The more I looked, the more I realize how much I really needed her out of my life. Shit was fucking up and she was just making it worse. I had to go. I went through one of the holes in the factory.

"CHASE! PLEASE JUST LET ME TALK TO-" She screamed at me. I noticed Karren stir in her sleep.

"Goodbye Sonna. Enjoy your time with the dickhead!" I then ran off into to night.


	37. That's What Makes Us Friends

Chapter 37

(MIDNIGHTS POV)

The last fucking day before break. I wasn't the biggest fan of Christmas, mostly because of me usually spending it without my parents. They always had some bullshit to do. I mostly just invited Chase and Karren over. They were the only two people that I actually know dislike the holidays as much as me. Hell, Chase flat out HATES Christmas. I got out of my bed and threw on some black sweatpants, a black sweater, my dark blue vest and my Jordan Space Jams and stepped out of my room. I headed down stairs to greet one of my personal chefs.

"Yo Earl!" I said to him.

"Young Master Milton, how may I serve you?" He asked.

"Hmm, lemme get a bacon egg and cheese sandwich on a bagel." I said. He nodded and got started. I knew it wouldn't take long. Earl knew I had school so he generally cooked faster than my other chefs.

Earl then asked me "Would you like your meal to go, Master Milton?"

"Yeah, I'll eat it in the car." I replied.

He wrapped up the breakfast sandwich and handed it to me. "Do enjoy your meal sir." He said with a smile.

I nodded and headed out of the house. William my chauffeur was standing by our larger, forty-car garage. He looked at me and asked which car I wanted to take to school and what car I wanted to get picked up in.

"Meh, let's just take the Rolls Royce. We got to the white vehicle and he opened the door for me. I dropped down one of the backseat tables and began to eat my food. "Just pick me up in the Maybach." I said to him.

He nodded his head and drove off. Is it wrong to say I loved my staff more than my neglectful ass parents…

-10 Minutes Later-

He pulled up in front of the school. He opened my door and gave me my backpack. "I shall be here at three o'clock sharp young Master Milton." He said. I nodded to him and walked off. Many of the students would stare at me as I got out of those expensive cars. I wasn't stupid. I knew they envied me. Hell, last week I came to school with a solid gold Mercedes Benz. They could stare all they want though because I didn't acknowledge any of them. I walked to homeroom and saw that Karren was in her seat waiting for me. I sat down and asked her where Chase was. His seat was empty.

"I'm not sure. When I woke in the factory it was like two in the morning. I looked at the couch and saw that he was gone. I then headed home myself." She looked at me funny. "When did you get home?"

"To be honest, I'm not sure." I said. I remembered blacking out before I hit Nero, then I just woke up at home.

She nodded her head and then sighed. "You don't think he hurt himself again do you? Ya know... because of Sonna…"

It was now my turn to sigh because I truthfully wasn't sure. "Have a little faith. I don't think he'd kill himself over her. He'll move on and forget." I said with a confident grin.

"You mean like how he "forgot" about your little stunt that nearly got him lynched." She said with narrowed eyes.

"..." I was stumped.

She once again sighed. "Damnit Milton!" I winced at hearing my name from her. She only called me that when she was pretty pissed.

"Look. I'll go see if I can find him. Okay?" She huffed out and nodded her head.

The bell rung and I was off to block one. I then noticed R standing there talking to some girl slightly taller than him. I walked up to him and dapped him up. "Yo R! What's up. You didn't tell me you were a ladies man." I patted his back and his face went red.

"Midnight! What are you... I was just…" He then sighed. "Sup dude…" He muttered lowly.

"Man, way to pick too." I looked at his girlfriend and man was she something. I winked at her and said "Hi I'm Midnight, and you are..?"

She rolled her eyes and said "Not something you sticking your horny ass dick into." My eyes widened and I chuckled.

"You picked well." I whispered in R's ear. "Well I'm gonna leave you two alo-" I then had a thought. "Wait, R, have you seen Chase?"

"...I think he was on the roof." He said. My blood ran cold. I took off in a hurry. When I got to roof I looked around in a panic.

"CHASE!" I shouted at the top of my lungs.

"CHASE!"

"CHA-"

"FUCKING WHAT!?" I heard somebody shout.

"Chase?"

"WHAT?!" He yelled. I sighed at the sound of his anger.

I saw him sitting on the edge of the building. I took a seat next to him. "You had me and Karren worried, motherfucker." I gave him a light jab.

"Yeah, my bad…" Block one started but we didn't care.

"Oh and uh, sorry about the whole prank thing two weeks back. I didn't mean for you to take the heat."

He narrowed his eyes at me. "You had me running for three miles just to escape the football team. The bastards still give me hate glares.

-Flashback-

"This is gonna be crazy! We're going to go down in history as the first two students to fuck with the whole school." Chase raised a brow.

"We?" He asked. "I'm not pulling off another one of your bullshit schemes."

"Dude come on. You have to!" I begged.

"No!" He was walking away.

"Fine then, be that way." I muttered to myself.

-Two Hours Later-

(CHASE'S POV) Still Flashbacked

Why the fuck did I even go to this school game in the first place. I hate football…oh yeah, my oh so loving girlfriend thought it would be romantic. Now here I am sitting here in the stands with an empty space next to me. I grit my teeth in anger and annoyance. Just then, Beth finally decided to show up. She looked a mess. Her hair was out of place, her shirt was unbuttoned and lipstick was a bit smudged. I sighed. "Where the hell were you?"

"I...was busy." She said. I noticed she was out of breath.

"Busy doing what?" I asked.

"None of you goddamn business." She pulled out her comb from her purse along with her fucking make up kit.

"How is this not my business? You know how long I've been waiting here for you. It's fucking halftime!" I said getting annoyed even more.

"Oh would you just relax for a moment and just try to enjoy my company." She said.

Kinda, fucking hard when you go missing for an hour…

The game started back up and our team was up. I was falling asleep. This shit was NOT my style. I looked over at Beth and she was once again talking to a couple of guys. I grit my teeth. I wasn't one to get jealous, but come the FUCK on. I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer.

"Why don't you keep your eyes on the game, fuckboy!" I said to the guy. He glared at me.

"What pussy?" I was mad now. I got up and moved over to him.

"Stop looking at my GODDAMN GIRL." The dude got up. He was like twice my size.

"Man I will fuck you up. Watch your mouth man." Just then, Midnight got up from his seat above mine and punched the dude across his jaw. He was knocked out.

"Chase! What is wrong with you?!" Beth screamed. "That was. Shadow Price!"

"So fucking what?" I said.

"He's the most popular guy in the school, and now you're on his bad side which by default, puts me on his bad side!" She said.

She ran up to the sprawled out Shadow and softly rubbed his face. I swear that bitch makes me sick! Twenty other guys got up and glared at me and Midnight.

"Uh…" I didn't know what to do.

"Dude run!" Midnight said, sprinting away. I followed behind him.

"Where are we going?!" I said.

Midnight smirked. I already didn't like this. "To make history my friend." For shit sake…

We got to the school's control room. Midnight was smirking his ass off as he locked the door.

"Oh no. Please don't do this stupid shit during the championship game against our rival team. DURING A HOME GAME!" I shouted.

He was still laughing his ass off. "Ok first up, gotta turn off the lights on the football field. Next up, gotta turn on the sprinklers to wet those bastards, and finally...my own little touch."

"What did you do?!" He chuckled.

"Well lets just say that this school's gonna need a lot more janitors." He was still laughing. I just stared at him wide eyed.

-Flashback Ends-

(MIDNIGHT'S POV)

"You sent three helicopters to dump fucking cow shit on everyone at the game!" Chase snapped. I was cracking the fuck up.

"At least I paid the principal off." I said.

"How much?" He asked.

"Four hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Plus a trip to Fiji." I smirked.

"Wow...you are such a dick." We got up and began to walk off of the roof.


	38. Throwing Shade, Casting Shadows

Chapter 38

(CHASE'S POV)

We got into the building and headed to our first block class. I got in and Mrs. L scoffed. I sent her a sarcastic wink. I took my seat and I automatically regretted it. I forgot that Sonna sat next to me in this class. I could feel her gaze at me so I just put my earbuds on and put my head down for the rest of class. The second the bell rung I ran to block two.

I sighed. "Get a hold of yourself Chase!" I said to myself. I ran to the locker room and changed before anyone even got there. I walked out to the gymnasium and sat on the bleachers. I sat there in silence as more of the class piled inside of the gym. Midnight and Karren took a seat next to me. As the teacher was doing roll call Beth and a very familiar face came up to us.

"Look out dude. It's the bitch again." Midnight whispered to me.

"Why, hello Chase." Her voice was already getting on my nerves and my left eye twitched.

"What do you want. I already have enough bitch issues going on at the moment." I noticed Sonna look over here with a sad look and Zeyco glared. The bastards.

Beth glared at me but then smirked. "You remember Shadow right?"

"I remember him getting decked across the jaw by Midnight." Shadow glared at me.

"Watch it! You both gonna get what's coming to ya!"

"You see Chase. Shadow is my boyfriend now, and he's twice the man you'll ever be." Beth said.

I shrugged my shoulders. "Ok, thank you. You done?"

"Listen Chase! Shadow treats me like a queen. He doesn't just sit around and cry about his parents and-"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP BETH! MY CLAIM STILL STANDS! I. WILL. KILL. YOU!!!"

Shadow stepped in front of her and said "You ain't killin a goddamn thing!"

"Don't test me motherfucker! I'm not in the mood for anymore dickheads around me." I snapped at him.

"Trust me when I say you don't want to fight me." He said.

"And trust me when I say you don't know who I am!" I replied.

"From what I can tell, you're not much."

"And from what I can tell, you obviously have low standards to be fucking with Beth's annoying ass!" I shouted at him.

He shoved me roughly. "Last chance Hawthorne! WATCH YOUR FUCKING MOUTH!" I shoved him back.

"You might wanna watch your mouth, buddy. Who knows what that bitch has as this point!" Shadow glared and Beth scoffed.

"That's it!" He threw a heavy straight punch at me. I caught it in my hand. It had good power but his form was too predictable.

"I don't really feel like fight you right now buddy." I pushed him back. "I'm still not in the best condition to fight." To be honest, I was surprised my arms weren't still broken. I really was just sore.

"Watch your back Hawthorne! Oh and Foyer…" He looked at Midnight. "I owe you one for the bitch ass sucker punch you gave me."

Midnight just flipped him off. Beth Scoffed and grabbed Shadow's hand. "C'mon baby, let's leave this group of losers to themselves." They began walk off. "Oh and Chase, I hope you realize soon what you missed out on."

"Nothing I don't regret giving up…" I muttered under my breath.


	39. A Mission Gone South

Chapter 39

(R'S POV)

Give me strength Lord, GIVE ME STRENGTH! This math test was gonna be the death of me. I was legit on the verge of shooting myself. I looked at the clock. My eyes widened. I had ten minutes to finish nine more questions. It was a wrap for me. And to think, this is the last test before break. The bell rang and I begrudgingly handed my teacher the test. I walked out a tad bit depressed. Just then, Kale and his goons came up to me again. Just when I thought my day couldn't get worse.

"Shortcake! Where ya been buddy? We missed you!" Him and his crew began to chuckle. "Ya almost missed you season's beatings." I didn't have time for this. I brushed past him and kept walking. "HEY! You even listening?!" He said. I just ignored him. I was then thinking about my plans for tonight. I was gonna take Raven to that parkour center. I loved it there. I hope she likes it too. Just then a hand grasped my shoulder. "I'm talking to you, Shortca-" I shut him up with a well placed back fist across his jaw. He dropped to the floor and held himself.

"I'm not playing with you anymore. Piss off, shit stain." I was now heading off to lunch. When I got to my usual table, nobody was there. Sonna was sitting with the Prototype, and Chase sat at his usual table. I sighed as I unpacked my lunch. Guess eating alone isn't that bad…

"HEY R!" Two voices said simultaneously. One was Chase and the other was Karren. I walked up to them.

"Come sit with us today dude!" Midnight said. I smiled at them and took a seat.

"So R, Midnight here tells us you got a girlfriend. Care to elaborate on that." Karren said. My face went red.

"Uh...I...we…" I stuttered.

"Oh relax R, she's just teasing." Chase said with a snicker. Just then, our Arsenals went off. "Oh thank God! A mission!"

We ran out of the cafeteria and into an empty hallway. "Ok let's got!" I said. We all vanished to HQ.

When we got there, Blake greeted us and told us about our target.

"Jonathan Tuckerson. CEO and chairman of the leading crime organization J.I.N. He is hosting an open party as a means to set up their biotech research." Blake informed us.

Just then, Sonna appear and took her seat.

"Sorry I'm late, I was preoccupied with something." She said. Blake nodded and continued. I noticed Chase paying her no mind.

"You will need to pose as fellow party goers and get close to the target. One of you needs to find a briefcase with a J.I.N. Corp. logo. Inside are research documents and blueprints for J.I.N Corps. hidden project."

"And that would be..?" Midnight asked.

"A serum to create the perfect super soldier. If J.I.N Corp. gets their hands on the serum, they'll be more dangerous than we could imagine." Blake answered.

"So are we killing Jonathan?" I asked.

"No. Attempting to kill him at his own party would only create a scene. You are taking out the delivery guy." Blake pulled up a picture of a man with pale skin and huge lips. "Sam Coles. He is delivering the briefcase to John some time during the party. He's your target."

"Where is this big party?" Chase asked.

"Los Angeles, California. The address will be linked to the GPS inside of your helicopter." Blake answered.

"So what are our disguises?" Karren asked.

"Good of you to ask that. Chase, Karren and Sonna are going to go inside of the party dressed formal." He then looked at me and Midnight. "You two are gonna be look out. Your gear should be fine. Just stay out of sight." He then looked at Chase. "Press the button on your Arsenal to change your attire." Chase did as he was told and with a flash of white light, he stood there in a white tuxedo, black shades, a white fedora and had his blonde hair combed neatly to the side.

"Damn. I look rich as shit!" Chase said smirking.

"If you're done admiring yourself, you can go head to the jet. ALL OF YOU!" Blake said firmly.

-5 Hours Later-

The plane ride was quiet as hell and pretty awkward due to Sonna's presence. We got to our destination and stepped out. Midnight and I geared up and get to our vantage point as the rest of the gang go into their disguises. Chase was in his white tuxedo, Karren was in a black and pink Chinese dress, and Sonna was in a red and black dress. They looked up at me and I signalled them to go. They nodded and went inside the huge mansion. It was almost as big as Midnight's.

(CHASE'S POV)

Well shit...to say I felt out of place was an understatement. I was no doubt the youngest guy here and was receiving death stares from a couple of men. I lowered my fedora and fixed my shades.

I noticed that most of women at the party were giving me hungry looks. That shit got me sweating. It truly did.

I went to the small bar to the side of the large golden room and looked at my options. Yep, all alcohol. Well I was nineteen so I was technically a legal adult. The bartender looked at me funny and said "Sorry, I don't sever minors kid."

"Look pal, just let me get a little swig. I'm not gonna die." I said once again fixing my shades. "Plus I'm an adult." The man sighed.

"Ya know what? Fuck it. Drink till your heart's content." He said as he lit a cigarette. I smirked as he handed me a class. The shit had a weird yet strong scent.

"What's this?" I asked.

"Cinnamon vodka mixed with a little bit of mudslide." He answered. I downed the drink and right away, it burned at my throat.

"Got anything else?" I asked.

" That one was on me kid. The rest, you gotta pay for." He said.

I sighed. I was broke as hell. And to think I was enjoying my first ever drink.

"We'll take some gin if you don't mind." Said a some chick that sat on the barstool next to me. "You good with that?" She asked. I nodded my head stupidly.

She place a hundred dollars on the table and told him to keep the change. I looked at her and damn was I fucking out of it. Nice ass, nice chest, long, black hair and two emerald colored eyes. Her voice was seductive as hell when she spoke to me. I was drooling. I'm not kidding.

"Sorry to just impose on you like that. Just had to...get away from the crowd you know." She said. The bartender handed us our drinks. "So you got a name to go with that handsome face?"

"...Oh! Yeah uh... I'm uh...Devon. Devon...Thorn!" I said with a nervous grin. I mentally slapped myself for using my brother's name.

She giggled sexily. "I'm Blair." She the downed her drink and I chugged mine as well. "Ya know I really could use a good drinking partner Devon. You mind?" She asked with pleading eyes.

"Nope. Not at all. I don't have any plans." I said. To hell with the mission.

-45 Minutes Later-

"And that, my sexy maiden...is how...I fucked up two gods." I slurred. The alcohol was really setting in now. I was wasted. At this point. I was talking nonsense. She was probably out of it too because she was laughing her ass off.

"Ya know Devon, I don't think I want our night to end just yet." She said with a sly smile.

"What do you me-" She pressed her lips to mine and she practically shoved her tongue down my throat. I wasn't sure what was going on but I think I like it. I grabbed the back of her hair and pressed her face even closer to mine. Our goddamn tongues were fucking wrestling each other at this point. I pulled away from each other and she gave me another seductive look. She hopped off her stool and grabbed my hand.

"Why don't we continue this upstairs?" She said. I just nodded at her.

We ended up walking into a large bedroom. The goddamn room was huge. It truly was.

I heard a click sound behind me. I realized that Blair had closed the door and locked it.

"Well then Devon...are you ready for a good time?" She asked me with a sly smile.

"Fuck...yeah I am…" I slurred.

She took off her shoes and dress and walked up to me in nothing but her black laced underwear. She placed her hands on my shoulders and started to kiss me again as she removed my jacket and tie. She pushed me down to the bed, crawled on top of me, and began to trail kissed down my neck as she unbuttoned my shirt. I placed my hands on her ass and started to kiss neck and open shoulders.

She lifted herself up and stared at me with lust filled eyes as she snaked her hands down my upper body, to my belt buckle. "I'm gonna have fun with you." She said in my ear.

(KARREN'S POV)

I was still scoping out the area for the target. I was trying my best to blend in but I just wasn't a party type of person. I had no idea where Sonna and Chase were. I was alone.

I looked around until I noticed that there was a man in a trench coat holding a briefcase with a J.I.N logo. That must be Coles. I saw him walk out of the door. He must've been looking for John. I stealthily follow behind him outside. I then hit a button on my small earpiece in order to contact R and Midnight.

"You guys see the target?" I asked.

"Target in sight." R said. "I have a clear shot."

Just then, a large van pulled up in front of the target. Eight guys flooded out of the back door, all armed with guns.

"Well well well...It looks like I've got a secret admirer." The target said with a smirk. I got a good look at the man and my eyes widened. It wasn't him. It was a set up. He was just a decoy for any potential threats. I had a choice, go Arsenal now and risk exposure, or wait and hope Midnight and R handle this.

(SONNA'S POV)

I was extremely confused. This mansion was so hard to navigate through. I kept bumping into people as I continued the search for Sam Coles. I kept walking until I bumped into yet another person. This time, I froze with shock. I ended up bumping into John Tuckerson. He turned around and grinned.

"Why if it isn't Ms. Eclipse. I didn't expect you to be here. Where's your father?" He asked.

"He's busy with work." I replied.

"Oh too bad...I really did want to put a bullet in his head tonight. Oh well... I guess his daughter will do." He said as he snapped his fingers.

Two guards gripped my arms tightly and lift my off of the ground. I kicked and struggled to get free.

"Tie her up in my basement. He grabbed my chin. I'll be with you after I get my plans." He said menacingly.


	40. Over the Top Screw Ups

Chapter 40

(R'S POV)

Damn. Karren was surrounded. She can't just use her Arsenal in front of everyone so that means it's up to me and Midnight. I put away my sniper rifle and jumped down from my position on the roof. I activated my Power Gauntlets and Boots and charged at the goons. I punched one guy and sent him five blocks down. Two goons shot at me so I deflected the oncoming fire with my Gauntlets. I stomped my boot to the ground, creating a small earthquake. The thugs dropped to the floor. Before they could get up, Midnight incapacitated them with tear gas. He knocked them out with rapid neck chops from behind. He then ran up to Karren who had a look of shock plastered on her face.

"Are you good, Karren?" Midnight asked.

"The target is still inside...I followed the wrong guy…" Karren muttered.

"What? Wait, where's Sonna and Chase?" I asked.

"Still inside. Last I saw, Chase was going upstairs with some woman." Karren said

(CHASE'S POV)

I was fucking exhausted, and had a terrific headache. Here I was, laying and some crime boss's bed with a hot older woman, butt ass naked. She rubbed my chest with her soft hands.

"C'mon hotshot. Don't tell me you're only gonna go one round." She said licking along my jawline. The alcohol in me was clearing up and I had just remembered my mission.

"Sorry baby, but I got shit to handle." I said, putting on my clothes.

"Oh don't be like that. I'm still a little wet for you. Your not gonna just leave me like this, are you?" She asked.

"I gotta go. Gimme ya number and I'll call or something." I said. We were fucking for like an hour and a half for shit sake. I'm not kidding.

She pounced on me and pinned me to the floor. "I can't let you leave." She said in my ear.

"What the hell?! Get the fuck off of me!" I said. I pushed her naked ass off of me and went for the door. As I went to open the damn thing, she tossed a knife at it, just missing my hand.

"Get the FUCK back in the bed and fuck me dry big boy!" She shouted. This bitch was crazy.

"Hell no!" I said unlocking the door. She then jumped at me and stuck a knife deep into my back. I back fisted her across the jaw. She was sent to the floor instantly. "Fuck off...BITCH!" I said ripping out the knife in my back. I began to stab her repeatedly. Blood was all over my suit, but I didn't give a shit.

I walked downstairs in my battle attire. My Famas at my side. Everyone stared at me in horror.

"Everyone, get the fuck OUT!" I shouted at the crowd of people. I shot up the entire party area. Screams rang throughout the whole place. Just then, John and his goons came up to me with their tommy guns pointed at me.

"So the fucking AOF is on my ass now, huh?" John said. He took a sip of his champagne. "What a joke. Sending prepubescent jackass pricks on me." He began to chuckle. "...a fucking JOKE!" He crushed his glass within his hand.

I hit the button on my earpiece in order to contact the others. "Karren, R, Midnight...Sonna…I found John and his goons. He's got the briefcase in his possession." I said.

I pointed my assault rifle at John. He raised a brow at me. "You don't want to do that kid." He said. He then smirked. Who knows what I might do to little Miss Eclipse…" He said with a smirk.

My blood ran cold. I may not be on the best terms with Sonna, but I don't want her to get killed. "Where is she!" I shouted.

"In the basement awaiting her execution." He chuckled. You better hurry kid. That sticky bomb has about three minutes till detonation."

I sprinted down the stairs to the basement. When I got down their, Sonna was tied up to a chair. C4 was strapped to the back of it. She was out cold and had a huge gash on her forehead.

I walked up to the chair and cut her loose. I lifted her up bridal style and carried her out. I felt so goddamn confused. Part of me wanted to shoot her myself, but the other part kept telling me to forgive and forget. I mean, to be honest, we only met for a week and we were moving things pretty fast. What I wouldn't give to get a second chance. Zeyco better not make the same mistakes. They do share a past with each other though...man fuck it, this is all so confusing…

I walked out of the basement and the whole house was empty. The only sound that was heard was Sonna's faint breathing.

"Guess John took off…" I looked down at Sonna again. Why was my heart beating so fast. DAMNIT! I can't believe myself right now. She pretty much kicks me to the side and here I am, fucking blushing because of her. Cry me a fucking river for shit sake. "Ya know, You really fucked with my emotions. All for some childhood douchebag…" I said to Sonna's unconscious ass. I then sighed. I kicked open the front door and kept walking. "I hate losing, Sonna. I really hate losing, especially to Zeyco. I truly fucking do." I said.

I kept walking until I got to the rest of the team. Karren was swearing at herself and Midnight tried to console her. I looked at R for an explanation.

"We fucked up...they had a decoy and John slipped away." R said.

I sighed. Damn, this night just keeps getting better and better.


	41. The Ballad of Blake Stryder

Chapter 41

"Watch out! This bastard is crawling on the ceiling!" Yelled a man. He reloaded his gun and shot above himself. "Die you motherfucker!"

I will

A shadowy figure pranced around the dark room.

~SLASH!!!~

The man looked back and saw one of his men decapitated, blood spewed from his now exposed neck.

"Holy SHIT!" Yelled a woman. She dropped her gun to the floor. "It...it...killed Ren…" The woman dropped to her knees and sobbed.

"Kara, now is not the time. We have to kill that son of a bi-"

~SLICE!!!~

The man held his slit neck and gasped. "K...Kara...get ba...back up...contact HQ…" The man collapsed, lying in a pool of his own blood.

"RICHARD!!!" The woman yelled. The shadowy figure came up to her and growled. "Stay the fuck away from me!" The shadow then pounced at her. "AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!" She let out a loud scream before she dropped to the floor, dead.

-The Next Day-

(CHASE'S POV)

"Jesus fucking Christ!" I shouted. I was at Midnight's house for Christmas Eve. His staff would cook a bomb ass dinner for Karren, Midnight and I. We were in Midnight's "Man Cave". Not sure why he called it that when Karren was usually with us but whatever. We were playing air hockey at the time and the bastard kept scoring on me. "Fuck this game!" I shouted as I flopped onto one of the beanbags. Midnight was grinning like a dickhead at this point. Karren was playing COD on the PlayStation 4. I looked up at the screen and saw that she was 45-0.

"Sorry boys, but you gotta step your game up." Karren said through the headset.

I grinned at her as she went try-hard mode. "Damn Karren, take it easy will ya."

She flipped me off and continued her game. I looked at Midnight and I said "What's the game plan?"

"Hmm...not sure. You guys up for the mall?" Midnight asked.

"Yeah, sure, whatever." Karren replied. I nodded in agreement.

"Well alright then." Midnight said.

(BLAKE'S POV)

I was finally able to get a break from the agency. Hell, I don't think I've seen any of my friends in weeks. I've been trying to make time but it's always one mission after another. What can I say, I was a busy guy. I told my group of buddies to meet me at the mall so we could all catch up with each other. Not gonna lie, I missed them all alot.

-15 Minutes Later-

I got here earlier than the time I told them to meet me. I was a bit nervous to see them again. I loved them all, but they could be a bit much. I took a seat on a bench outside of the entrance. I looked up and sighed. The sky was cloudy.

I closed my eyes and lingered within my thoughts. I thought about my time before the AOF, before I had to keep all of the secrets, before I had to kill, before. I. Changed.

-Flashback-

I was fifteen when my life first changed. I got kicked out of my old school due to my issue with bullies. I was harassed and attacked, daily. My parents transferred me to a new school as soon as I told them of my situation. Now here I was, at some boarding school, away from home and family. The first few days were awkward as hell due to my quiet nature. Luckily I didn't have to share my dorm because that would've been a whole new issue. On my third week, I had began to notice the stares that I received. In my first few days, I was already top of the class. As I was leaving homeroom, I was intercepted by a girl with short black hair and violet eyes. She smiled at me and said "Hey you're Blake right?"

"Uh…yeah!" I said. My face was red and I was a little nervous. She was so pretty.

"Oh good. My name is May. Not sure if you knew, but I'm in your home room and your algebra class." She held out her hand to me.

"Oh, right. Blake Stryder, nice to meet you Ms. May." I said formally. I shook her hand nervously.

"So um…Blake, can I ask you something?" She said looking away from me.

"Yeah, sure. What do you need?" I told her.

Her face had a tinge of redness. "C...can you help my friends and I with our homework? You seem so smart, I figured you could help us."

"Oh yeah. I don't mind. Where and when do you want my assistance?" I said.

She perked up and beamed at me. "Really?! Oh thank you Blake!" She ran up and hugged me. My face heated up instantly. "Meet us at the girl's dorm entrance at six tonight."

"...Wait the girl's-" She cut me off with another hug. She sure was affectionate.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you so much for this Blake!" She ran off in the opposite direction. I was super confused about the whole situation.

-At Lunch-

I took a seat at the table I ate at. I wasn't much of a social type of person so I ate alone. At least I did eat alone until today.

"Hey Blake! Come sit with us!" May shouted at me.

I looked at the table she was sitting at. It was May and three other girls. I sighed and walked over to their table.

"Uh, hey May." I said as I waved at her.

"Blake, I want you to meet my friends." She said as she pointed to the redhead chick with a ponytail. "That's Zoey."

Zeoy looked like one of those girls that would kick your ass just to do it. She looked at me with a half grin. "Sup handsome." She said winking at me.

May pointed to the brown hair girl. "That's Ni-" May was cut off when the girl with brown hair stood up, her large breasts bouncing in the process.

"Nina Vastuo." She wrapped her arms around my neck and pressed her chest to mine. " Ya know, we could do more than just some stupid study session." She said in my ear. I was fucking on fire at this point. " Ya know, just you," she was grinding her hips on my croch. Needless to say, my soldier was at attention.

"I...uh...you...we…" I stuttered like an idiot.

"Nina cut it out!" May shouted as she pried the brunette girl off of me. "Anyway, that's Masha." She pointed to the girl with blue hair. Masha looked at me. Her neon green eyes stared into my chocolate brown eyes. She stared at me for thirty more seconds until she gave me cute ass smile.

"We should make a baby together." Masha said. I'm pretty sure I was every known shade of red at this point.

"W...what?!" I asked confused.

"You. Me. Baby." She said. Who are these girls?

"If anyone's having his kid, IT'S ME!" Nine said in Masha's face.

"WHAT?!" I was so lost.

"Not a chance. I'm pretty sure Blake wouldn't want to deal with your enlarged milk sacks." Masha said.

"Jealousy will get you nowhere hun!" Nina replied back.

Zeoy got up and walked over to me. "You look pretty frail. Do you know how to fight?" Zeoy asked me.

"I know a little something." I said back. She grinned at me and nodded.

"You'll have to show me sometime." She tossed her food away and headed out. May looked at me apologetically. Masha and Nina we're still arguing.

"Sorry about this Blake. I didn't think they'd go all crazy about you…" May said.

"...Yeah…" I said.

-Flashback Ends-

Damn they were nuts. To think I ended up being friends with all of them. That same study session really ended up being the jump on my new life. Those girls…

I was snapped out of my thoughts when I heard a group of footsteps coming my way.

"BLAKE!!!" A group of girls shouted at me. I looked towards them as I failed to suppress my joy. I really did miss them.

Just then, both Nina and Masha jumped onto my lap. Nina pressed her large breasts against me and Masha snuggled on my chest. Both were hugging the shit outta me.

"Betcha missed me didn't ya?" Nina said with a smirk. She placed kisses all over my neck.

Masha scoffed and pushed Nina outta the way. "Don't worry about her. I plan on making love to you before you disappear again." She pressed her lips to mine. She slipped in her tongue and let out faint moans against my lips.

"MASHA! GET OFF OF HIM!" Masha was yanked off of me by May. I looked up at May and Zoey. Zoey grinned and May smiled at me.

"Hey you guys." I said.

"Hello again Blake." May said. We stared into each other's eyes. I noticed her blushing. "Should we...go in?"

"Yeah, let's go." We all headed inside to start our day back together.

(MIDNIGHT'S POV)

Man what a load of shit. Half of the good stores were closed for the fucking holidays. They might as well have closed the whole place!

We were sitting at a table in the food court. Chase was on his phone trying to reach his uncle and Karren was eating a basket of fries.

"Let me get some of those…" I said to Karren.

"Fuck off, dickhead." She said, flipping me off.

I smirked. "What is Chase doing over there?" I said to her in alarm. She looked back at Chase with a raised brow. I went to swipe a fry but she turned around and slapped the fuck out of me. "DAMN!" That shit stung like a bitch! She left a red mark on my tan colored skin.

"Nice try dumbass! You're not, FUCKING SLICK!" Karren snapped.

"I wanted ONE fucking fry!" I yelled back.

"You want your ass kicked." She replied.

"Bitch, you love me." I said. Before I knew it, I was flipped through a table. Kerren pinned my hands to the floor. "GODDAMN! YOU NEED TO CALM DOWN SHE-BITCH!!!"

(CHASE'S POV)

~BEEP~

~BEEP~

~BEEP~

No. Fucking. Answer. Mikey was a nut but damn. He's been gone for like a week and a half. He usually leaves for like three days tops, but over a week! This was getting ridiculous. I came back over to the table only to see it was destroyed.

"Damn Karren. Again?!" I said. She had Midnight in a choke hold. He was tapping out, frantically.

After Karren cooled down, we all got some pretzels from Auntie Anne's. We were walking until we noticed a figure in the near distance.

"Is that Blake?" Karren asked.

"With FOUR hot ass girls?!" Midnight chimed in. Karren slapped him. "OW!" He shouted.

"Why don't we go say hi." I suggested.


	42. Froze Cow Juice

Chapter 42

(R'S POV)

I was running around my room in a panic. "WHAT DO I WEAR?!" I shouted. This was me and Raven's first real date. Plus, this was on Christmas Eve. If I screw this up, her holidays are gonna be filled with the hatred of Rodman Damine.

I opened my dresser once again and looked for something to put on. Should I just go formal? But what if that's doing too much? Should I just rock something casual? But what if she was in her Sunday best?! Oh the GODDAMN confusion.

There was a knock at the door. SHIT! What the fuck do I wear...GOT IT!

-5 Minutes Later-

I was walking downstairs and I saw my mom talking to Raven. "Oh God." I muttered under my breath. They were engaged in a conversation about me. They were both laughing and giggling.

"R loved to rip off his diaper. He called himself, Little Strip." My mother said. Raven let out another chuckle.

"Mom, please stop." I said out loud.

"Ok ok. You two go have fun." We got up and walked over to the door. "Oh and Raven, remember what I said about my son." My mom called out.

Raven's face paled for a moment before she shouted "I won't let you down."

We were walking down town hand in hand. My nervousness, clear on my face. I had to change up our plans for today. The parkour center was closed and I didn't exactly plan for that to happen. Hmm…

"So what's going on today R." Raven asked me. Looking at my choice for an outfit. "Oh and nice clothes." YES! I mentally fist pumped. I had on a black button up shirt and some tan cargo pants with my black and gold adidas. I noticed her wearing a dark purple crop top and some skinny jeans that fit real nice on her.

"Do you wanna...go to the park for a bit? We could grab some frozen cow juice!" I said. She raised a brow.

"That better mean ice cream." She said. I laughed.

"It does." I began to run, dragging her throughout the city until we got to the park. I saw the usual guy that hands out the amazingly frozen dessert. "I'll take one vanilla chocolate dipped cone. WITH SPRINKLES!" I said. They always forget the sprinkles. The man nodded.

"Can I get a cookies and cream cone with chocolate sauce." The man nodded once more.

"That'll be eight fifty." The man said. I noticed Raven digging in her back pocket. I stopped her and pulled out my wallet.

"I got this." I payed for both and we walked to a nearby park bench. Once we sat down she put a hand on my shoulder.

"R, you know you don't have to pull any of that cliche stuff with me right?" She said.

"I know Rave. But I don't mind paying. My job pays pretty well for what it is." If she knew I killed for cash, she'd probably never talk to me again. I couldn't tell her about the AOF.

"R, you don't have to be so kind all the time." She said.

"For you, I'd be ANYTHING!" I said bowing down to her.

She grinned at my antics. I sat back on the bench. "So uh, how's Shadow?"

"I don't know. He gets up, cooks us breakfast and then heads out to do something. I wish he wasn't so isolated from me. He spends more time with his new girlfriend than with me." I noticed her anger begin to flare up. "I swear he's such a jackass sometimes!" She shouted.

"Hey hey hey, take it easy Rave. You still got me, and I ain't going nowhere." I said as I latched my arms around her. She smiled at me. We stayed like that for a moment until she asked me how Chipper was doing.

"Man don't get me started on that guy. Just yesterday, the guy goes off, and comes back saying he's a parent now. Can you believe it. My best pal, had a lady friend and never told me. The nerve of that guy." I said hysterically.

"Well to be fair, you got yourself a "lady friend" before he did. It think he just felt a little neglected." She said to me.

"Yeah maybe. I still think he could've told me though." I said.

We got up and began to walk to the mall. It was still open and I was running out of ideas.

-15 Minutes Later-

We had finally arrived at the mall. Most of the good stores were closed. Raven and I were walking around the place until we stumbled upon a bit of commotion.

(MIDNIGHT'S POV)

"DUDE! WHY DO YOU GET ALL THE SEXY ASS BITCHES!" I said in Blake's face. Blake gave me a confused look.

"Midnight, I don't know what you're-" Just then, the curvy ass babe came up to me.

"Listen hun, you need to relax and back it up. Don't talk to Blake like that!" She said. The other three girls then glared at me.

"Alright, damn." I muttered under my breath. "I'm just saying though, you and me could do something strange." I said wiggling my eyebrows.

"In your dreams, ya creep." She responded with a scoff.

"Oh trust, I'm gonna have some wet dreams about you baby." I said.

She rolled her eyes at me. Blake then sighed for a moment until he gave me a look of realization. "THAT'S IT!" He shouted. He grabbed both me and the brown haired girl. "You to should go out!"

"What?" I asked in confusion.

"What?!" Karren growled in shock.

"WHAT?!" The girl shouted. "But Blake. I only want you, ya jerk!"

"Hear me out Nina. I want you to have a nice Christmas, one better than what I could give you. Midnight is loaded. I'm sure he'll show you a good time."

"Blake, what are you talking about." She asked with wet eyes.

"Nina... I'm saying that I need to come to a decision. For three years I've been walking around with all of you as my exclusive harem. It's time that...I choose." Blake answered.

"So... that's it? I'm automatically not your choice. I could make you happier than any other girl!" Nina said in between sobs.

"I'm sorry but...I just don't want to keep stringing you all along like this. I know what my heart wants." Blake continued.

"So who's the lucky bitch than Blake?" Nina said with her feisty ass.

Blake looked back at the black haired girl. "May…I want you. No, I need you. Please be mine." May blushed at him.

"Really Blake. Why me though?" She asked.

"Yeah Blake! WHY HER!" The cute, blue haired girl said with tears in her eyes.

"Masha... I'm sorry. I just, didn't want you to waste your time on me. I didn't want that for any of you." Blake said with a long sigh.

The red head rolled her eyes at him. "Figures you'd go for May. I knew it. You did meet her first." She then walked off in anger.

The Masha girl just stood there, next to Nina. Both were bawling their eyes out. "You know, if you wanted us gone, you could've just said something instead of just tossing us to some random." Nina said. Wait what..?

"Who you calling random. I happen to be one of the main cast in this whole damn story!" I said.

"What?" Chase said.

"Fuck you, ya main protagonistic son of a bitch!" I snapped at him. He gave me a confused look. At this point, I wasn't sure what I was saying. I grabbed Nina by the hips and kissed the shit outta her. I pulled away from her and dried her tears. "Listen to me my sweet. I will shower you with affection and treat you like the most precious of jewels. Just be mine you beautiful bitch!" I said triumphantly.

"I...uh...I gotta go!" She ran off out of my grasp. "Damn! YOU WILL BE MINE!!! I had to see her again. I will give up my gigolo ways just to have her. This, I swear.

I looked at Blake. "You WILL give me her information!" I demanded.

Blake sighed. "Fine... jackass. Gimme your phone. I handed him my iPhone. He began to type some shit. "There. I jotted down her number, address and some of her interest. Oh and if you do get her, DO NOT, BREAK HER HEART." He said menacingly.

"Yeah yeah yeah, I won't." I said as I grinned at my phone.

(CHASE'S POV)

Karren and I had noticed the blue haired girl disappear. "Hey Karren."

"Yeah Chase?" She responded. I saw her forehead was red from her constant facepalms.

"I'm going to go after that blue haired girl. Keep Milton outta trouble." I said to her. She raised a brow but then nodded in approval.

\- Many Long Tedious Minutes Later-

Of course the last motherfucking place I look was where she was. She was on the roof with her head to her knees, sobbing.

I kinda felt awkward bit for some reason, I felt the need to console her. "...Uh...hey…" I said to her.

"Why are you here." She growled. She kept her head down.

I sat down next to her. "So...love life not so good?" I said.

"Trust me, I get it. My first girlfriend was my best friend. We split up though. Things just got too heated between us. We were moving way too fast." I stopped mid sentence and gave a dry chuckle. " Would you believe that I lost my v-card to my best friend?"

"My second girl was an annoying, slutty bitch that I almost killed. Hell, I only went with her to ease the pain of my depression." I told her. Not sure what compelled me say all of that.

"..." She remained silent but looked up at me. Her wet bright green eyes staring at me with interest.

"Then there was this girl named Sonna. Me and her really hit it off but...then her douchebag friend came back into her life and she left me high and dry…" I said.

"..." She was now giving me her full attention. I looked at her pretty ass face. I noticed that she stopped crying.

"My point is that sometimes, love can be a fucked up thing. Ya just gotta deal with it." I said as I got up. I extended my hand to her. She took it and pulled herself up.

"Thanks…?" She started.

"Chase. Chase Hawthorne."I finished for her.

"Thank you Chase. I'm Masha Grey by the way." She said with a small smile.

"You from around here?" I asked.

"No. We came here to visit Blake...but...yeah...you know how that went…" She said.

"How long you gonna be here for?" I asked.

"The rest of winter break." She replied.

"Well then...we could meet up at the park down the street if you want to go tomorrow." I told her.

"Aren't you celebrating Christmas?" She asked.

"I stopped caring for Christmas years ago." I replied.

She walked up to me. "Well then, I accept your offer."

(R'S POV)

WHAT THE HELL?! I was beyond lost at this point. I looked at Raven and she looked back at me. Both of us equally confused.

"So...what now…" I said unsure of what to do next.


	43. The Man in the Black Coat

Chapter 43

(R'S POV)

I was walking Raven back home. We decided to just call it a day and to see each other tomorrow. She turned to look at me once we got to her doorstep.

"Sorry today wasn't exactly the best. I wanted us to go to the Parkour center but it was closed." I said.

"Don't worry about it R. I still had fun with you." She said.

I looked at her smooth lips as we moved in closer. We began to slowly close are eyes. We were centimeters apart at this point. I could smell her lovely aroma. Just as we were about to kiss, the front door flew open.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!" I screamed in shock.

"What's going on out here!" An angry Shadow yelled.

"Shadow!" Rave yelled back.

He glared at me. "Damnit Rodman. I thought I told you, NO KISSING!" He snarled.

"Shadow I'm not a little kid. Can you please stop acting like an asshole." Raven huffed out.

"All I'm saying is that he needs to watch his limits!" He said.

"It's just a little kiss!" Raven shouted.

"Which could lead to sex, which could lead to unplanned child birth, which could lead to a financial disaster!" Shadow explain.

"R and I are responsible enough to make the right decisions!" Raven countered.

"Yeah. I'm fine with waiting for-"

"You shut up!" Shadow yelled, cutting me off.

"Don't talk to him like that!" Raven defended.

Shadow glanced at her. "You! Upstairs!" He then looked at me. "And you! Get the hell outta here." He said.

"Shadow you can't just-" Raven started.

I put a hand on her shoulder. "Look it's fine. I'll see you tomorrow, ok?" I said to her.

She sighed. "Fine." She quickly grabbed my face and pecked my lips. I saw Shadow glare at us. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Uh...hehe...yeah." I watched as she and Shadow walked into their house.

-25 Minutes Later-

I was in my house now. My mom was asleep on the couch. She must've been watching her late night movies again. I headed upstairs to my room. Chipper was sprawled out on my bed. I sighed and scratched his stomach. Well... I'll see you in the morning buddy.

(MIDNIGHT'S POV)

C'mon...pick up already! I've been trying to reach Nina for about fifteen minutes now. She wouldn't pick up. I wasn't gonna give up though. She would be mine! Once again, no answer. I sighed as I dropped my phone. DAMNIT! This stupid feeling was getting on my nerves. Is this really what it felt like to be in love with someone. I've been with "TONS" of girls but Nina was just...damn... she's definitely the first girl I legit want to "ACTUALLY" be with. All the others would just throw themselves at me for my money, but Nina...she just...wow.

I tried calling again and to my surprise, she picked up. "Who the hell is this, and why do you keep calling me?!" She growled. I loved her anger.

"Oh Nina my love, I was just wondering if you would like to meet up during Christmas?" I asked.

"Why would I do that?" She asked.

"Simple. You and I are meant to be." I said all cheesy and shit.

"Hmm...no!" She hung up. I grinned.

"So you wanna do this the hard way, huh? Don't worry babe. I got it for you hard." I said to myself. I looked at the clock. It said nine thirty on it. I checked her address. She's about twenty minutes away...yep, I'm going to her! I grabbed my jacket and headed to the garage. I got in the Lamborghini and drove off. When I pulled up to her house I realized that it was in a suburban area. "183 Connor Road. I knocked on the door. Some scrawny kid opened it for me.

"Who the hell are-" He then stopped mid sentence. "You're one of Nina's fanboys aren't you?" He said. "Look dude she's kinda bummed out about something right now."

"That's why I'm here right now kid. To mend her broken heart." I said. What the fuck is wrong with me.

Just then, a wonderfully busty woman with brown hair came to the door. She looked like an older version of Nina. "Cole, who is this?" She asked.

"I dunno, he's here for Nina." Cole said.

"What do you want from my daughter...Mr-"

"Foyer. Milton Foyer. Heir to the CEOs of MegaSoft Corporation and Oliver Oils Industry." I said.

I noticed her eyes go wide at my statement. "Oh my. Well then, please come inside Mr. Foyer." I stepped inside of the house. It was a pretty small one but I wouldn't really know what a "small" house was. "So what brings you here Mr. Foyer?" The woman said.

"I've come to speak with your lovely daughter ma'am. You see, I have feelings for her and I would like to establish a relationship with her." I said trying to sound professional. You pick that skill up after attending meetings with your CEO parents.

"Is that so? And what do you see in my daughter?" She asked. I paled at that question. Shit, I wasn't prepared for this question.

"I found that I was attracted to her bold and confident attitude, she seems fun to hang around and on top of that, she is stunningly beautiful." I said as truthfully as I could.

"Mmhmm...NINA!" She yelled out.

"Yes mom. " My queen said as she came down the stairs.

"There is a nice young man here to meet you." The woman said.

"Is it Bla-" She paused her question and looked at me.

"You?! What are you doing here?" She asked.

"Nina my love, let us be together. I will look at no other woman the way I look at you my queen. Please, accept my love!" I said.

"I don't even know you!" She said glaring at me. "And you don't know me!" There was that ferocity that I craved from her.

"Then let us get to know one another." I stated. Her mother looked at me than to her daughter.

"Mr. Foyer, exactly how rich are you?" She asked.

"MOM!" Nina yelled.

"I'm just about set for life... scratch that, three lives!" I told her. Her mother nodded. She then looked back at Nina.

"Nina, may I have a word with you?" Her mother said.

(NINA'S POV)

Mom and I stepped out of the room leaving my apparent stalker alone with my little brother.

"Yes mom?" I said.

"Now this is just a suggestion but I think you should go for this guy." She said.

"WHAT?!" I shouted. "No way mom!"

"But Nina, you have to think about the possibilities. He's rich, he seems kind and he is pretty good looking." She said. I couldn't lie, The freak was pretty hot. But he wasn't Blake.

"Mom I'm not looking for anyone right now." I said to her.

She sighed. "Listen Nina, you need to find someone to call your husband. He is the son of two leading companies. If you are with him, your guaranteed happiness."

"But I don't love him mom." I said.

"And you'll never know unless you give him a chance." She said.

"Mom I...I just can't…" I said.

" Nina please just try. This could be our only chance to get out of poverty. The women in our family are blessed with their good looks. Use them to your advantage and we could have a comfortable life. If you won't do it for me, than at least try for Cole's sake. You always hated growing up poor. This is your chance to fix that for you and your brother." She said.

A mix of emotions went off inside of me. I was angry at my mom for pressuring me into this. Sad that she was right, nervous about the whole situation but in a subtle way, happy that someone actually wanted me. Yeah I was used to having fanboys but the "Mr. Foyer" wasn't exactly just some fanboy. I sighed.

I looked at my Mom."Fine! I'll give him ONE chance." I said. She smiled.

"That's all I'm asking for." She said.

(MIDNIGHT'S POV) ... again…

Both Nina and her mom came back in the room. I was glad because her brother Cole kept starting awkward ass conversations. Hell, he even asked what my favorite sex position was.

"So... Milton...why don't we get to know each other better..." She said. I grinned.

"Let me ask you something. You ever ride in a Lamborghini?"

(KARREN'S POV)

I was called back to HQ in order to complete a mission. Little did I know I was about to come face to face with a guy in a black hooded trench coat and goggles. He had a stitched up scar under his left eye. He looked at me with an emotionless stare.

"So you're the bastard killing every operative? You look kinda familiar. Do I know you?" I asked as I brought out my Sai.

"No. I'm afraid we have never met...Karren." He said in a raspy voice.

My eyes widened. He zoomed in front of me and kicked me back a few yards. I got up and saw him looming over me with a stoic face.

I materialized my Mac 10s and shot at him. Somehow he was able to avoid every single bullet. He then disappeared. I looked around but couldn't find him. It was ten at night so naturally, it was was dark as hell out her. I heard a faint noise behind me. I turned around to meet a fist, face first. I was sent skidding across the street. My nose was bleeding and my vision was blurry. I took on this mission feeling confident that I could take out this target alone but I was wrong he was way too fast and hit way too hard.

I hit the button on my Arsenal. I couldn't handle this. He was too much. Before I could get a hold of someone, I was sent tumbling into a wall hitting it back first. I was now scrambling to my feet. He then came up to me and crouched. "So Ms. Karren, what'll you do now?"

I glared up at him. He grinned and lifted me up by my hair. I was in trouble. I didn't know what to do. I shouldn't have tried to go alone. It's no wonder this guy's kill price was two million. He was dangerous.

"I couldn't help but notice that everyone I kill has an Arsenal. Care to elaborate on that?" He said coldly.

"Like hell I'd tell you." I said.

"Mmhmm…" He tossed me to the ground. "Do you know what happens when I fight people? I break them. Emotionally, mentally and oh so very physically." He growled. He looked at my leg. "Shall we start there?" He asked. I lifted my foot and brought it to his nuts. I chucked down some smoke bombs and dashed away from him. I pulled out my Arsenal and sent out a distress call to Chase and Midnight.

(CHASE'S POV)

I was chilling at my house for a while when I got home. I looked around the place. For some reason I kept having the feeling of being watched. Along with that, it was freezing in here. I walked all throughout my room, but I saw nothing out of the ordinary.

Then suddenly, the cold just left. My shaky feeling disappeared as well. I walked into the kitchen and boy was I disappointed. There was nothing here to eat. It was empty as fuck in the fridge. I sighed. I forgot to go to the market.

I walked back into the room and I saw my Arsenal flash at me. It was a distress call.

"Arsenal, play the message!" I said.

Just then, Karren voice came into my ears. "Chase! I went on a mission alone. I know I shouldn't have but... I just, I thought I could do it alone. But I can't. This target, he's an extremely strong enemy." There was a pause. "Chase... please don't come to me alone. Go get backup. He's too-" The message got cut off. I stared at my Arsenal in shock. Karren was in trouble and I had to go help. She said bring backup but that would just be a waste of time. I messaged Midnight to meet me at the coordinates and then took off. Karren was about ten miles away from me. I was zipping through the streets on my dirt bike.

"Just hang in there Karren. I'm coming!" I said as I revved the engine.

(KARREN'S POV)

In all honesty, I wasn't sure I was going to make it. I looked back and saw him gaining on me. I stopped and looked at him. Ya know what? If I'm dying, I'm dying, fighting. I charged at him full force with my Sai extended towards him. This was it. It was do or die!


	44. Till Death Do You Part

Chapter 44

(CHASE'S POV)

"FUCKING HELL!" I shouted as I zipped through the streets. I was on crunch time for shit sake! Karren needed me and I wasn't ready to let her down. I revved my engine and increased my speed. Hopefully Midnight got my message. I didn't have time to get him. He should be on his way though.

(MIDNIGHT'S POV)

"So... you having fun yet baby?" I said to her. I noticed her trying to hide a smile.

"... Just a little bit…" She said sheepishly. I laughed as she continued admiring the interior of the car.

I glanced at her. Her silky brown hair flowing as I drove. "Ya know, this isn't even close to my fastest car. This is only a Lamborghini Gallardo. My Aventador is faster." I said with a confident grin. "Ya know, I just might give this to you. I'm not a fan of this one anymore."

She perked up at my statement. "REALLY?!" She shouted.

"Yeah, keep it. I really don't need it anymore." I said.

"Oh thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!!!" She said hugging me. The sudden contact had me swerving on the open road. I looked at her and she blushed and moved away from me. "I uh... thanks…" She said trying to hide her embarrassment.

I chuckled once again. I was on my way back to her house when my phone buzzed. "SIRI read the message."

Message from Chase: I don't know what's going on bro but Karren needs help. Get your ass to these coordinates, NOW!"

"Oh fucking boy...SIRI, upload coordinates to my GPS." I said with a sigh. DAMNIT! Not now. "Hey Nina, ya mind if we take a detour?"

"Huh? N-no of course not." She said.

"Don't worry, it'll be quick...I hope…" I shifted gears. "Buckle up baby, I'm gonna have to brake a few traffic laws!" I said grinning. I speed down the street in a hurry to my destination.

(KARREN'S POV)

Holy shit! This guy is ridiculous. No matter what I do, he counters everything! Standing was more difficult than ever. He walked up to me calmly. "C'mon Karren, I thought you'd be a much better fighter. " He said smugly. "I'm getting bored…"

I lunged at him for a quick stab, but he grabbed my wrist tightly. "Shit…" I muttered. He grinned as he tightened his grip on my wrist. I slowly dropped to my knees.

"Tell me something... why'd you come alone? You'd have stood a better chance than this if you had backup. So why?" He asked.

"I...I th... thought I c... could handle your...sorry...ass." I said in pain.

"Mmhmm…" He quickly twisted my wrist to the left.

~SNAAAPPP!!!~

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!" I screamed in agony.

"Still think you can handle it?" He asked mockingly.

"..." I remained silent.

He then twisted my wrist 360 degrees to the right.

~SNAAAAAAPPPPPPP!!!~

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. He released my limp hand. I held it in pain. He stared at me with a sharp look.

"I'm not done yet little girl." He gripped my ankle and placed a heavy boot on top of my knee. You should've stayed home kid. He lifted my leg up and crashed his boot down on my knee.

~CRRRUUUUUUUUNNNNNNNCCCCCCHHHHHHH~

I gasped out in pain. I didn't have it in me to scream anymore. "P... please stop…Please." I began to beg. The pain was unbearable. I was nearing my limit.

"C'mon kid, you're begging now?" He lifted me up by the throat. Ya know what, I'll save you the trouble and just kill you know. He materialized a machete in his other hand.

"Lights out bit-"

"GET THE FUCK OFF OF HER!" I hear someone shout along with the sound of a loud, moving vehicle. Before I knew it, the man in black lost his grip on my neck and was sent flying back. Chase had quite literally rammed his motorcycle into the bastard. He ran up to me with worry on his face. "Karren! Oh my God, what the fuck did he do to you?"

"Wh... where's...backup..?" I said with a groan.

"On its way. You just sit back and let me take this prick." He said confidently.

"N...NO! You can't... fight him alone!" I yelled with concern.

"It's all good Karry...I got it." He said. He hasn't called me Karry since we were together. I'm not sure what that meant but I couldn't do much to stop him right now. He walked over to his new opponent with cold silence. The man in black tossed Chase's dirt bike away. It smashed roughly against a brick wall.

"So little Chase Hawthorne wants to fight now? So be it kid." The man said.

"Fuck you ya dead PRICK!" Chase yelled as he materialized his katana and rushed to the man in anger.

The man brought out two black machetes and parried his attacks with ease. He was blocking all of Chase's strikes. I could see the anger on his face. He was getting impatient really fast.

(CHASE'S POV)

FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUUUUUUUCCCCKKK!!!! Why can't I hit him! I jumped back and materialized my revolvers. I shot multiple rounds at him but he deflected them with his fucking machetes.

"So we're using guns now? Ok…" He then materialized two black berettas. We both unloaded shot for shot. Both of us firing up close, in melee range. He pointed his gun at my head, but I lifted it up with my gun. I then aimed at his head. He slapped my hand down, swung his gun at me, and clocked me with it. I staggered back a bit. He then hit me with a jumping roundhouse kick, putting me on the ground. As I went to get back to my feet, he ran at me and hit me with a cartwheel kick. My head slammed into the asphalt of the street. He looked at me with a disappointed look. "Get up…" He said. He kicked me roughly in the ribs. "Get up!" He kicked me again. I let out a painful groan. "GET UP!" He stomped on my once again broken ribs. Infirmary her I come. He gave me a stoic look as he brought out one of his berettas. I noticed that he didn't point it at me.

"What are you doing?!" I asked sharply. I looked to where he aimed the gun, then back to him. "Don't...PLEASE DON'T!" I shouted. He was gonna shoot Karren. She was on the ground looking at the bastard in horror. She couldn't move. I pushed myself to my feet. I didn't care how much it hurt. I had to protect her! "STOP! I said, moving in front of the gun. "I won't let you." I said.

He chuckled. "How bold. What does that girl mean to you kid?" He asked.

"Alot! She's one of my best friends. One of the few people I give a shit about. I can't lose her like how I lost my mom, my dad and my brother!" I said. He chuckled once again. I see…

~BANG~

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!" I screamed as he shot my left knee. "Fuck you!" He then aimed once more at Karren. "DON'T DO IT!"

~BANG~

"...K... Karren…" I muttered.

"... Karren…" I called out to her limp body.

"KARREN!!!" I screamed as blood pooled around her.

I dropped my head to the floor, sobbing. The fucking tears wouldn't stop coming. The motherfucker walked up to me. He crouched down and said something that made me snap. Something that would continue to haunt me.

"Merry Christmas kid…"

"... UPLOADING NEURAL LINK!" My Arsenal said. I got to my feet, uninjured. I lifted my head up at him as I took off my goggles. My eyes glared with hatred and malicious rage.

"... I'm gonna fucking KILL YOUR ASS!"

(MIDNIGHT'S POV)

Just hold on you two, I'm almost there. I said weaving through all of the traffic. I think Nina was gonna have a heart attack with the way I was driving.


	45. When an Arsenal Dies

Chapter 45

(CHASE'S POV)

"FUCK YOU!!!" I shouted, slamming my blade down at him. My katana cut through his machetes and sliced his chest. He now had an open wound dripping blood to the asphalt. I spun around and kicked him with the back of my heel. Before he could recover, I hit him with a jumping palm strike. He went straight to the floor. I pointed my blade at him. "You shouldn't have killed her dude. Now you gotta die."

"My last breath isn't today, Hawthorne." He said as he kicked my blade away with a flare kick. I jumped back and materialized my dual Ruger GP100s. I went to fire at him but he did something that caught me off guard. He teleported and left behind a puff of black smoke. I looked around, baffled by his ability to disappear. Before I knew it, I was flat on my ass.

The fucker had a machete to my throat. He grinned at me like a bastard. "Well kid, why don't I give you the present of death." He said. I glared at hit.

"Kiss my ass!" I said as I pointed my gun to his ribs.

~CLICK!~

"See ya around you stupid fuck!" I shouted.

~BANG~

~BANG~

~BANG~

~BANG~

I shot multiple rounds into his upper body. He dropped his machete and held his brand new bullet wounds. I sent him a swift punch to his nose breaking it in the process. I went to capitalize but he sidestepped and flipped me to the floor. I was then put in a arm bar. I struggled for a moment until I pulled out a flashbang and let it off in front of him. He let go of my strained arm. I ran to my dropped gun but got tackled. He was strangling me with his bare hands and I was gasping for air. I was on the brink of passing out when a gunshot rang through my ears. The dickhead slumped off of me and held his leaking shoulder. How the fuck was he not dead. I looked up and saw Midnight standing there with and AUG A3 in his hands. He had arrived in his orange Lamborghini. I squinted and noticed a girl in the car. That idiot brought a hooker with him! Karren died and he was FUCKING!

"Yo Chase. Who the fuck is that?!" He said helping me up.

"I could ask you the same fucking thing." I said gesturing to the chick in the car.

"Oh, that's Nina. Ya know, from the mall." He said with a sheepish grin. "Oh shit! Where's Karren at?" I looked down with sadness.

"...dead…" I muttered lowly.

"...What?" Midnight asked.

"DEAD YOU SON OF A BITCH! SHE'S DEAD!!!" I yelled, gripping his shirt collar.

"And...he...he killed her?" Midnight said motioning towards the motherfucker.

"Yeah, he did…" He nodded.

"Ok…" He then charged at the man in black. He punched him repeatedly. His spiked knuckles getting bloodier and bloodier with every punch. "FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU!" He kept on going. He then got force pushed off of him.we looked up and saw a man in a black mask.

The masked guy picked up the bloody dickhead. "That's enough Rouge Seven. You got what you came for."

The bloody bitch chuckled. "Hehehe, well then Chase, it was nice to see you again." They began to fade away.

"Come back and fight me you bitch!" My yells were in vain because they already left. I liked over to Karen's dead body. I picked her up. She was cold and lifeless. "...Oh Karry, I'm so sorry." I hugged her tightly to my chest. "Please forgive my weakness." My hot tears dripped down my face.

Midnight tried his hardest not to show his emotions but he was struggling. A couple of tears streamed down his face. "C'mon bro... let's just go." I carried Karren's body to the car. I sat in the back seat cradling her limp body in my lap.

(MIDNIGHT'S POV)

I never felt so depressed before. I NEVER cried like this. I wasn't a bitch, but damn... Karren was gone. The car ride was silent. I mentally thanked Nina for her holding her questions. I drove Chase home and once I parked outside of his house, I looked back at him. "You could always just stay with me bro." I told him.

"...No... I'll be fine. Just make sure you get Karren to her family." He told me. I nodded. He shut the door and walked in. I pulled off and headed to the Xeniong house. When I got there, I told Karren's parents that Chase and I found her on the street, dead. I told them that I would happily pay for the funeral arrangements. I sadly handed them their last daughter and went back to the car. I drove off and looked at Nina.

"So...we should probably talk…" I said.

"First. Who was the dead girl and the blonde guy?" She asked.

"Those two are my best friends. Chase is the blonde guy and Karren...well ya…" I said.

"Second. What was that box thing that you pulled out." She asked. I sighed.

"Yeah...kinda wished you didn't see that. Well first, you gotta swear that you won't tell anyone." I warned her.

"Uh ok." She said nervously.

"The box is called the Arsenal. It has enough heat to call whoever uses it a one man army. You get access to weapons, gear and enhanced abilities." I explained to her.

"...ok." She said in awe.

"Yup…" I said distantly.

"Ok, third. Can I still keep the car?" She said with a grin. I pulled up in her driveway

I looked at her with a raised brow. "Not sure. Can I get a kiss?"

She place a hand on my cheek and leaned in close. She was inches away from me when she whispered "Not a chance." She stepped out and waved goodbye to me. I watched as her hips swayed when she walked.

"Goddamn...her family IS blessed with good looks." I said. I pulled off and headed home.

-Christmas Morning-

(CHASE'S POV)

I looked out of my window and saw the snow fall. I felt like shit. Complete shit. I missed her already. I got no sleep. I was haunted by her death. I was too weak to prevent it. I'm pathetic! I looked at myself in the bathroom mirror. I looked a hot mess but I just kept staring. "Look at you. Nothing but a bitch!" I shouted at my reflection. I shattered the mirror with my fist. I didn't even bother trying to clean up my bloody hand. Fuck my hand.

I walked downstairs. I couldn't help but feel that same cold chill that I felt last night. The chill plus the silence was driving me mad! "WHO THE FUCK IS IN HERE!!!" I shouted like a crazed lunatic. "SHOW YOURSELF, NOW!"

Just then, there was a knock at my door. The sound snapped me out of my silent rage. I stomped over to the door and opened it aggressively. "What do you wa-" I cut myself off. It was Masha at the door. She held a look of concern. "Masha?! I... I'm sorry I was so hostile with you. I got a lot on my mind." I told her.

"Yeah, I had a feeling. Your phone was off." She said. When did she even get my...ya know what? I don't think I want to know.

"Yeah, I kinda smashed it it in my hand." I said.

"Chase is everything alright? You look…" She started.

"Like shit? Yeah I know." I said with a hollow laugh.

"You still up for a walk to the park?" She asked hopefully.

"I don't know, I'm kinda...fucked up, to be blunt." I answered.

"We could stay here if you want. Ya know, if that's ok with you." She said nervously.

Given my last encounter with a girl in my house, this could very well be the same way. Oh well I just nodded and let her stepped inside of the house.


	46. Cold Blooded

Chapter 46

(R'S POV)

What a wonderful time of year! I love Christmas. Spending time with my girlfriend, opening gifts, and drinking eggnog! What more could you want?! I was at Raven's house chilling on the couch with her. I was watching Raven tear Shadow apart in Street Fighter Five. It came with the PS4 Shadow got her. A white cat laid in her lap, sleeping in content. I got her that cat with a little help from Chipper. Still can't believe he's a dad…

"DAMNIT!" Shadow yelled at the K.O. screen.

Raven rolled her eyes. "That's five times now Shadow. Give up the controller."

"No way! One more round!" He said determined.

"Fine but if you lose again, you're getting off." Raven said.

They started their game with Raven showing no mercy. There was then a knock at the door. "I got it." I said. I opened it to see Beth standing there with two boxes. We looked at each other with narrowed eyes.

"...Rodman…" She said with distaste.

"...Beth…" I said with equal distaste.

She pushed past me and ran over to Shadow who just got his ass handed to him again. "Shadow! I got you something nice." She said. He he her firmly as he kissed her.

"Oh really now? I got you something nice to but it's not here." He picked her up. "C'mon, I'll take you to it." Before he walked out of the door, he looked at me and Raven. "No kissing, no groping, no hugging for more than five seconds, no drugs, no alcohol and NO SEX!" He said.

I saluted and Raven rolled her eyes. Shadow closed the door and right away, Raven grabbed my face. "I say we at least break TWO of those rules." She said.

I blushed and said "Which ones?" She embraced me in a comfortable hug for about seven seconds and then kissed me. "Oh, those ones... I'm fine with that."

(CHASE'S POV)

Masha was was walking around my house looking around. "Nice place." She said plainly.

"Thanks…" I said distantly with my head lowered.

"So what's got you so down?" Masha said leaning on the couch arm.

"It's... nothing." I said. She looked at me with a bored expression.

"I know what bullshit is Chase." She replied.

"...My best friend was murdered and I... couldn't protect her! I'm pathetic. The fact that I couldn't beat him shows that I don't have it in me to be more than a fuck up!" I said getting all emotional and shit. Masha sat down next to me and gave me a hard look before she slapped me. I held my stinging cheek. "Why..?" I asked.

"Because, you helped me so I'm going to help you. You're not a fuck up, you're a human and human mess up. The live and they die, but how they choose to do either of those things is up to them." She told me.

"Yeah but still, I could've-" I started.

~SLAAAPPP!!!~

I held myself with pain. "No! Just accept what happened and grow stronger from it!" She said firmly.

I sighed. "I'll try."

"Good, now c'mon!" She said grabbing my hand and yanking me up.

"Where we headed?" I asked.

"The park dummy." She said.

"Uh...ok."

(SHADOW'S POV)

Beth and I were strolling through the park. We decided to come here after I gave her some Christmas meat if you know what I mean. We were chilling on a park bench when. A serious thought crossed my mind. How the fuck am I gonna get my Arsenal back?! Raven still didn't know and I didn't plan on telling her anytime soon. I have to find a way to get it back. I noticed Beth was asleep on my lap. I stroked her hair and looked at her. Chase was a fool to leave her. I didn't see any problem with her. She was mine and I was hers. An idiot like Chase couldn't understand what it was to really love someone. Hawthorne...I can't stand him or the bastard that finessed me for my shit. I looked up to the sky and sighed with exhaustion. I rammed the fuck outta her. I so tired right now. Hell I might just take a nap my damn self.

(CHASE'S POV)

Masha and I were walking and talking to each other within the park. I came to find out that Masha was actually a pretty shy girl. I also found out Blake told her some "things" about me, and with said info Masha was pretty much stalking me to a certain degree. As creepy as that may sound, I kinda let it slide. She truly was shy, she hardly kept eye contact and blushed when I looked at her. She was pretty straight forward with things though. She pretty much hated beating around the bush. I could respect that.

I looked at her with a genuine smile. "Hey Masha." I said to her. She looked at me with a blush. "Thanks for this."

"Y-yeah... don't mention it." She stuttered. I found that kinda cute.

"So how come you didn't spend Christmas with your family?" I asked her.

"My Mother lives all the way in Alaska and my father…is somewhere. I live here with May and her mom. She's my distant cousin." She explained.

"Damn, Alaska. Isn't it cold as hell up there?" I asked stupidly.

"Yeah but we like the cold." She said plainly. "So what about you?"

"What?" I asked with a raised brow.

"How come you're not with your family?" She asked me. I looked down.

"My family was assassinated on Christmas when I was six years old. I lost my mom, dad and my big brother... Devon." I hated saying that to people but Masha felt easy to talk to. She was pretty quiet and you could tell she was listening.

"Oh...are you-" She went to say but I held up my hand to silence her.

"I'm fine. I don't need a pity party." I said. She nodded. We were still walking when I bumped into someone. "What the fuck?" I said.

"Watch it Hawthorne!" Shadow said. Oh boy!

"Hello Chase." Beth the bitch said with disgust.

I flipped her off and looked at Masha. "Let's just go." She nodded and we started to walk off. Unfortunately, Beth decided otherwise.

"So who's the new skank ya got there Chase? What you got rid of the Asian bitch?" Beth said. I stopped and looked at her menacingly.

"What…" I said with rage. Masha pulled on my jacket sleeve.

"C'mon Chase, let's just go." She said.

"Ya know, I just might miss her annoying ass temper. She was always on her period, wasn't she?" Beth continued.

"Beth I swear…" I said through grit teeth.

"Why you so mad? What, did she dump you or something?" She pressed on.

I turned around about to strike the bitch in anger but ended up frozen from the neck down in ice. Beth's mouth was frozen as well.

I looked back and saw Masha's hands glowing. Her green eyes now an icy blue. What the fuck did she do? "Uh...Masha? What the hell happened?" I asked her.

She shut her eyes and sank to her knees. She hugged herself tightly. "Sorry Chase, I had to stop you from doing something stupid."

"You got ice powers? That's so cool! Literally!" I said. "Now can you unfreeze me?" She freed me from my icy prison. Wow that was something. How'd you get those powers?" I asked.

"I... don't want to talk about!" She said seriously.

"Oh uh, ok." I said back.

-15 Minutes Later-

"Well Masha, I'll see you tomorrow then." I said to her. She nodded and took off. I walked home and pulled out my phone. Tomorrow morning was Karren's funeral and I had to talk to Midnight real quick.


	47. High Rank Nonsense

Chapter 47

(MIDNIGHT'S POV)

I hated funerals with a fucking passion. Everyone is doing nothing but getting depressed and it drove me insane. I couldn't handle shit like this. Just made me so angry. You know what else really pissed me off. Why the hell did it always rain during the funeral? It's like the world new damn well it was a depressing day. The funeral was long and Karren's family all attended. Once everyone left, Chase and I were the last two people that remained. I looked over to my best friend and he had tears in his eyes. I won't lie I shed a couple myself. I'm not afraid of showing my emotions in front of him. He knew how I was, and he understood how I felt. I didn't even hold it against him to cry the way he was. Karren and I were the last two people from his childhood. Now I was all that was left.

"How you holding up buddy?" I asked.

"Dammit Milton, it's just not fair! She didn't deserve to die like that, she was helpless. The bastard should have shot me. I was the target at the time. But instead the son of a bitch fired on her while she was hepless! She was vulnerable Milton. And I couldn't save her." Chase sulked. I knew he was a depressing guy but this was just ridiculous.

I looked at him and then said "Look, don't beat yourself up over this. You fought hard but you just can't win them all."

"Can't win them all? I struggle to win one!" He said with narrowed eyes.

"What I'm trying to say is that you tried, and that's all she would want." I then began to walk away.

"Where you headed to?" Asked Chase.

"There's something I need to take care of. I'll see you around bro." I said to him.

There was something bugging me. Something just didn't make sense. I wanted to know who those people were that fought her. No, I needed to know who the people were. Who was her target?

(CHASE'S POV)

After the long-drawn-out funeral, I decided to head back home but was intercepted by two A.O.F. operatives.

"Chase Hawthorne you're coming with us." One of them said.

"For what?" I asked.

"You been requested to go on a high-ranked mission. You are to report to base immediately." The other one said.

"Fine whatever… Not like I really give a shit." I said with a sigh.

They then transported me to the HQ. Once I was there I was then greeted by Blake.

"Hawthorne, you made it!" He said to me.

"Yeah yeah yeah what do you want?" I said impatiently

"Well as you know you've been selected for a high-ranked mission." The bastard said to me.

"What tedious task are you going to have me do now?" I asked firmly.

He pulled up a map of the USA. I took notice of the Southern state Georgia. While the rest of the states were green, Georgia was red. "Do you have any idea what this map shows?" He asked me.

"Clearly not. You care to fill me in." I said.

"I think it would be better if I showed you." He said with a dark tone.

He pulled up a video. The video showed the city of Atlanta Georgia in ruin. Fire was spread all over, the police cars and other vehicles were destroyed, but worst of all a hoard of soulless looking people we're just walking the streets. One of the people looked at the camera, and began to charge at it. Static was then heard along with the sound of a man screaming. Then the video just cut off.

"What the fuck was that?" I asked, confused.

"That was the result of J.I.N Corporation fucking things up again. Their so-called serum to create super soldiers ended up backfiring completely. Their Atlanta research facility exploded leaving the serum to contaminate the oxygen. So many people inhaled the serums gas and then turned rabid. Now all those people are just mindless animals!" Blake said grimly.

"So what the hell do you want me to do about it?" I asked.

"I know this is going to sound crazy, but we need you to contain the outbreak by any means necessary. Even if you have to wipe out that whole entire state. I don't care. But this damn country is not about to turn into some stupid zombie Sci Fi film!" He said.

"That still doesn't really answer my question. What the hell do you want me to do about it!" I said more boldly. "Why are you just asking me to go, wouldn't this be easier with a group?"

"No. We don't need any excess casualties." Blake said. I raised a brow.

"What are you trying to say?" I asked.

"Look this is going to be hard and I'm going to need you to give it your all out there. There should still be some survivors. Not everyone was affected by the serum's gas. Find any survivors and get them out of the state!" He said.

"What the hell! So not only is this some stupid ass search and rescue mission but you're also asking me to wipe out a whole damn state! Karren just died and you want me to go and take thousands...no, millions of other lives! What the fuck Blake?!" I said angered.

"I know this sounds bad and it is but those survivors are counting on you, the rest of the country is counting on you, your friends are counting on you. I know you can do it. Keep your mind sharp and be safe." He said with a deep sigh. "You're dismissed, now head to the hangar and grab the Aerial Cruiser. Coordinates will be linked to your GPS"

I sighed with frustration. This was gonna suck ass. It truly was. "Whatever jackass." I began to head out. Blake then called out to me. "Oh and Chase, careful with your Arsenal in that area. Things might take an unexpected turn…"

"What?!" I said with alarm.

"Don't worry about it. I'm just saying in case...you know…" Blake said. This shit just wasn't sitting right with me. I had a real bad feeling.

-Thirty Minutes Later-

I had the cruiser on autopilot as it flew me to Georgia. I was nervous, not going to lie. If this situation was so bad then why did they send me to go handle it? Something was just...off…I didn't like it not one bit. I kept flying until I reached the landing zone. I was in the heart of Atlanta and needless to say, it was fucked. "Damn…" I muttered out.

I was wondering through the empty streets. It was quite. Way too fucking quite. I looked at my surroundings. As I looked up, I noticed someone staring through the top window of an apartment building. "Well it's time to greet the locals." I said as I charged through the apartment building's front door.


	48. Dead Trigger

Chapter 48

(CHASE'S POV)

"HELLO?" I called out inside of the empty building. I began to climb the many flights of stairs until I got to the top floor. "YO! ANYONE IN HERE?!" I shouted. My voice echoed throughout the area.

I looked around the beat up apartment building and noticed that all of the room doors were opened except for one. I walked up to the door and knocked. "HELLO? ANYONE IN THERE? DON'T WORRY, I'M HERE TO HELP!" I assumed that the room was empty and was about to walk away until I heard a faint cough from the room and what sounded like a little girl's voice. I walked back to the door and knocked again. "Hey. Open up. I'm not gonna hurt you. I'm here to get you out of the state." I said calmly. It was silent until I heard two screams. Fuck it, I'm busting in the room! I stepped back and gave a stiff push kick to the door knob, effectively breaking the lock and slamming the door open. I ran throughout the room in search for the two voices. I ran into the kitchen, where I saw two kids and a pale woman.

"MOM STOP!" The little boy said with fear. The boy was short with chocolate colored skin. He was standing next to what I assumed was his older sister. She had lighter skin and curly brown hair. She was a little bit taller than the little boy.

"MOM PLEASE!!!" The girl shouted. She was using a broomstick in order to push back the pale woman. The woman had looked like shit on a Sunday.

"What the fuck?!" I yelled as I charged into the room. I tackled the pale woman to the floor. I then brought out my katana and stabbed the bitch right between the eyes. I yanked the blade out of the now dead woman and sheathed the blade. I looked at the two kids and walked up to them. They both seemed to panic. "Relax. I'm here to get you two to safety."

"But what about…" The boy started.

"No buts kid. It's time to grab your shit, and roll out." I said.

"But where are we gonna go, Mister?" The little girl said politely even though she seemed depressed about her dead mom.

"I got a little jet that I'm gonna use to get you up north to a safe zone. You'll have military protection for a while until you're moved to a nicer area." I said.

"So we're going to be orphans?" The little girl asked sadly.

"...Yeah... you will…" I told her. Both kids looked down. "Look, don't worry about that right now. The important thing is to get you guys outta here." I led them outside. "Stay close to me." I said. They nodded and did as told. We were walking cautiously to the Aerial Cruiser. I Noticed that the two were silent. "So you two got names?" I asked.

"My name is Mariam." The little girl said.

"I'm Kevin…" The little boy said. I noticed the sadness in his voice more than his sister's.

"My name is Chase. I work for a group of agents that help others." I lied. I wasn't about to tell two kids that I murder for shits and giggles with a group of assassins.

"So you're like a superhero?!" The boy asked with newfound interest.

"Well...sorta…" I said with a nervous smirk.

"Cool!" Kevin said.

I chuckled a little bit. "Alright kids, it's just around the...oh shit…" I said with wide eyes. Like twenty of those mindless fuckers were just casually FUCKING UP MY RIDE!!! "Ok you two, I got bad news and I got worse news. The jet isn't an option anymore…"

"Then how do we get outta here?" Mariam asked.

"Yeah... that's the worse news." Then, as if shit didn't already hit the fan, my Arsenal decided to deactivate leaving me in a fucking tank top, jeans and some goddamn Tims. I was pissed. The only weapons I had were my katana and my fucking revolvers...that I now have limited ammo for…" Guys, I now have shitty news." The flash of my deactivation had attracted the fucking mutated bastards. "OH COME THE FUCK ON WITH THIS SHIT!!!" I yelled as I scooped up both kids and hauled ass in the opposite direction.

(MIDNIGHT'S POV)

I had to figure all of this out. Who the hell were the two guys in black. This all just wasn't adding up. What is their motive…

I got up from my spot on the couch. I was now pacing back and forth within my large living room. I sighed with frustration.

"Um... Master Milton...are you feeling ok?" One of my maids asked.

"Yes Kate. I'm fine." I said with a hint of anger. I was thankful for her concern, but it wasn't necessary at the moment.

"Oh, ok. Shall I run you a bath then?" She asked.

I looked at her for a moment and then said "Yes Kate. That'd be greatly appreciated."

She smiled and went off to handle her objective. I was now left within my thoughts. I needed to really get my mind off of all this bullshit. I looked at my phone and grabbed it. Maybe I could get Nina to come over. I want her. No, I need her! I need something to satisfy me. Even if that just so happens to be a tiny kiss, it'd be something. I called her number and lifted the phone to my ear.

"Hey Nina, you busy?" I said to her.

"Uh, no. Why?" She said.

"I was just wondering if you want to come over for dinner tonight." I told her.

"Is that alright with your parents? I wouldn't want to-"

"Don't worry about it. They don't mind." I said quickly.

"Well uh, want time..?" She asked.

"I'll pick you up. Just get ready now. I'm on my way." I told her.

"Ok. I'll see you soon." She said before I hung up. Ok. I need to get everything ready. I told my kitchen staff to prepare a five star meal. I then took my relaxing bath and dressed myself into a grey polo shirt, some black khakis and grey chucks. I finally went to the garage and stepped inside my orange McLaren P1. This car was one of my favorites. I started the engine and took off.

(R'S POV)

"Aww c'mon man. Don't look at me like that." I said to Chipper. "I'm just heading over to Chase's house for a bit. I gotta see what's going on. I haven't heard from him, Midnight or Karren. I don't even know where Sonna is!" I said. He shook his head and let out a quick meow. "I'll see you later, buddy."

I rode my bike down to Chase's house but when I got there, the lights were out. "Maybe he was asleep." I muttered. I went up to his front door and began to bang on it. There was still no answer. "Damnit…" I was about to knock again but was stopped by a chilling voice.

"Don't bother. He's not home." Said the voice. I turned around and saw a blue haired girl leaning against a tree with her arms crossed.

"Who are you?" I asked her.

"Chase's fiance…" She said with a straight face.

"He's getting married?!" I shouted.

"Sooner than he knows…" She replied back with a monotone voice.

I stared at her confused but decided not to press her about it. "So... when is he coming back?" I asked.

"Don't know. All I can say is that he's not here." She answered.

I sighed and decided to just leave before one question came to my mind. "Why are you just standing outside of his house?"

"The minute he gets here, I have something important to tell him." She said with a small smile. I noticed her face was slightly red.

"Uh...ok well, if you see him, tell him that I was looking for him. I'm R by the way." I told her.

"Masha Grey…I'll tell him you stopped by. " She said.

I nodded and then headed off to Midnight's house. I never actually came here but judging by what Chase and Karren told me, it wasn't hard to miss. They weren't lying. The place was HUGE! I walked up to his giant, gold front door and rang the doorbell. A tall man with brown hair and a black tuxedo answered the door.

"Who might you be." He asked.

"I'm R. May I speak to Midnight please?" I asked desperately.

The man raised a brow. "Do you happen to mean Master Milton?"

"Uh...yeah." I said nervously.

The man shut the door quickly. I huffed out a breath of frustration. Chase was missing and Midnight wasn't available...I wish I knew where Karren lived. Oh well. I'll have to just try again tomorrow.

(CHASE'S POV)

"Motherfucker!" I yelled, slicing through another unfortunate mutant zombie...thing. This was all just so...fucked! "C'mon you two! Into the convenient store!" I shouted. The two ran through the door. "See. That wasn't so bad now was it..?" I said, getting no response.

"Who the fuck are you three?!" I heard a gruff voice yell angrily. I looked up to see a group of people pointing guns at me and the kids. The bald man sent me a glare. I moved the kids behind me.

"Whoa! Take it easy mate. We're friendly." I said while putting my hands up.

"How do we know that?" A short haired woman asked.

"I'm here with two kids for shit sake!" I said getting annoyed.

"That don't mean shit!" Some redneck said.

"Look we're not going to do anything to you!" I shouted.

"Bullshit! What if you're all one of those bastards that eat people. The bastards that ate my FUCKING DAUGHTER!" The bald guy said.

"Do we fucking look rabid to you!" I snapped at him. A couple of the the people lowered their weapons. The bald son of a bitch kept his pointed at me. "Don't do something stupid man. I'm warning you right now. I'm already having a bad day."

"Look around you ya piece of shit! We're all having a bad day!" A tall black guy said to me.

"You guys don't understand! I was supposed to get the survivors out of the state and wipe out the mutated motherfuckers." I said.

"Kid, you better start explaining yourself." The bald man said. I sighed. Well, I guess I gotta play along for now.


	49. Marked for Death

Chapter 49

(CHASE'S POV)

I had just finished explaining my mission to them. I had told the group of people who we were and about our situation.

"Look, you gotta understand, these are just two kids! I'm trying to help them along with any other survivors." I said.

"And how are you gonna help us kid?" The dark skinned man asked.

"By taking you all up north. There's a military base that was set up there. If I can get you to it, the national guard will escort you all to safety."

"No way am I gonna trust a fucking kid." The bald man said.

"Listen Bill, we may not have much choice. This convenient store is outta food and water." How convenient. "We need to relocate. If the kid says he can get us to safety then I say why not trust him." The short haired woman said.

"Oh c'mon Wanda! Don't tell me you're falling for this shit!" Bill said fuming.

"You got any better ideas, Bill?" Wanda said.

"..." Bill's bald ass shut right the fuck up.

"Yeah, I thought so." She said. She then looked at me and the kids. "So what's the plan, hotshot?"

"We head north. The quicker we leave this shitfest, the better." I said without hesitation.

"But we're low on supplies!" The black guy said.

"It's ok Troy. I agree with the kid. The quicker we leave, the better." Wanda said.

"My name is Chase. So quit calling me a goddamn kid." I said annoyed.

"You know what, fine! Let's just follow the lead of some random ass kid. When we all get killed, don't say I didn't warn you!" Bill said. The bastard…

"We need to leave. Now! Does anyone have a vehicle?" I asked.

"Yeah, but we got no gas." A chubby guy said.

"Anyone know where to find any gas? Going up north on foot is next to impossible in this fucked up city.

"Yeah. There's a hardware store down the street. There should be some gas in there." Troy said.

"One fucking problem though. That hardware store is surrounded by those man eating freaks!" Bill said.

"Fine. I'll go alone." I said confidently. I looked at the two kids. "You two, stay put. You'll be safer here." The two gave me a nervous look but complied with the order.

I started for the door. As I went to open it, Wanda and the chubby guy came up to me. "We'll come with you Chase."

"...Ok." I said, unsure about the whole situation.

We stepped out of the store. It was ominously quiet. "The hardware store is about two blocks down. If we move quickly, we can avoid a horde." She said

"Yeah, alright. Let's do it!" I said. We silently snuck our way to the hardware store. I went to open the door but it was locked. "Shit…" I muttered.

"If we break the glass, we'll alert the zombies." The fat guy said.

"..." I walked up to the double doors and stabbed my blade in between them. I began to pry the doors open and soon enough, I did. "Got it. Let's move." I said to the two.

The store was big and dark. This shit was just too fucking creepy. "Fan out and look for a jerry can." Wanda said.

We then went our separate ways on the hunt for gasoline.

(MIDNIGHT'S POV)

"Damn Nina! You look sexy as fuck!" I said to her. She rolled her eyes with a faint blush on her cheeks as she stepped inside my car. She was rocking the fuck outta that dark blue dress. Shit, what can I say. I'm a fucking sucker for blue.

-8 Minutes Later-

The drive was short and sweet. We were talking about some random shit that for whatever reason, I seemed to find interesting. I pulled up inside of my forty eight car garage and stepped out. We walked to the living room and took a seat on my large white leather couch. She looked around the place with clear amazement.

"Holy shit Midnight. This place is huge!" She said.

"That's not the only thing that's huge." I said with a grin. She looked at me with a glare. "What? The meal my staff prepared is enormous." She rolled her eyes again and I handed her the remote for the TV. "Put on whatever. I'll be right back." I headed for the kitchen to check on the food. Once I stepped in, my nose was filled with multiple pleasant scents. "Goddamn it smells good as hell in here." I said to my cooks.

"Well that would be the five star meal we are preparing for you, your guests and your parents." Charles, my head chef said to me.

"Wait, slow down. My what?!" I asked.

"Your parents, Young Master Milton." He answered back.

My heart sank. I widened my eyes with panic. "But they're in San Diego for some shitty ass business trip!" I shouted.

"Nope. They departed early. They should be home any minute now." He replied.

"Aww Shit!" I ran back to the living room to tell Nina that we had to go but stopped and stared at the front door as it opened.

"Good Lord it's quite grand to be back within the walls of my own home." My father said with exhaustion. He and my mother stepped inside and looked at me. "Milton!? I wasn't expecting you to be awaiting our arrival...why are you all dressed up."

"And I thought you hated watching Gilmore girls." My mother said looking at the TV. Both of there eyes then slid to the couch to find a wide eyed Nina.

"Milton. Who's this young lady?" My mother asked.

"...uh that's-" I started.

"Is she another mistress of yours?" My father asked.

"What?! No! She's-"

"Is she another one of those prostitutes?" My mother question with a raised brow.

"NO! Her name is Ni-"

"So she must be a new maid." My father asked.

"Would you just listen to me for one se-"

"Why are you not in uniform young lady?" My mother asked.

"Uh…" Nina gave a confused, worried look.

"And why are you just sitting there?! Go fetch us some refreshme-"

"GODDAMNIT!!! SHUT UP!!!" I yelled furiously. Everyone looked at me with shock as I cut off my father. "This is Nina Vastuo! She's a friend of mine that I hope to one day establish a real relationship with. One that will last. One without lies and deceit!" I said boldly and truthfully. "Now lay off. She's having dinner with us tonight." I walked up to Nina and took her by the hand and led her upstairs. "C'mon, I'll show you my room." I said to her.

(CHASE'S POV)

"OH SHIT!" I shouted as I quickly brought up my revolver and placed a bullet through the mutated woman's skull. Needless to say, the fat fuck who's name I found out to be Mark, screwed up. His stupid ass went back for a fucking porno magazine that he found by the checkout station while Wanda and I got the Jerry cans of gasoline. It took every fucking ounce of pity and patience in me NOT to shoot the bastard. Now him, Wanda and I were fending off a crowd of mutated, zombified pricks in aisle three.

"Chase we can't stay here for much longer." Wanda said.

"We won't have to." I told her. I shot a bastard in the leg and then ran up to dropkick the fucker. I then shot two more bullets, dropping two more zombies which in turn, created on opening. "MOVE IT!!!" I shouted at my two companions while running. Wanda began sprinting to the exit and Mark followed. When we neared the exit, Mark dropped his stupid ass meat beat magazine. He stopped and turned back to go grab it.

"Mark, what the hell?!" Wanda shouted.

"I need that magazine!" He shouted. This guy was an idiot!

Mark ran over to the magazine and picked it up while smiling. "YES! I got it!" Before the bastard could make his way back over to us, he was tackled by a zombie. Both he and the freak were sent to the floor. "HOLY SHIT!!!" Mark screamed in horror. "HELP ME!" He shouted to us.

"For shit sake…" I said. I gave Wanda a questioning look. "Do I have to?" I asked.

"...Yes…" She said.

"Damnit!" I ran over and thrusted my katana through the mutated zombie's temple. I kicked it off of Mark and helped him up. I looked at him for a moment with narrowed eyes.

"...Uh... what?" He asked me. I lifted my blade. "The hell are you-" I shut him up with a swift leg sweep. "Chase stop man!" He pleaded.

I brought my blade down on his throat. He gasped and gurgled as blood seeped through the hole in his neck. His fat body twitched for a brief moment before going still. I walked back to Wanda.

"What the fuck was that all about?!" She snapped at me.

"Sorry but he got bit, twice!" I snapped back. "Serves his stupid as right."

There was a low groan and creepy ass growls. The zombies we escaped just a moment ago were now on our ass again.

"Oh shit!" Wanda said.

"Don't worry about it. Just MOVE!" I YELLED TO HER.


	50. The Importance of Life

Chapter 50

(CHASE'S POV)

Wanda and I had just got back to the convenient store with the gas. We set the Jerry cans down on the counter. Everyone stared at Wanda and I with confusion and shock.

"Mark didn't make it…" I said. Bill rushed at me and glared.

"The fuck do you mean he didn't make it?!" He shouted.

"He got bit. I had to take him out!" I snapped back at him.

"This is your fucking fault you son of a BITCH!" Bill sent me a harsh punch to the face. I looked at him with a death glare as I cocked my fist back.

"STOP! Both of you! We have a bigger problem right now. Who gets in the car, and who stays behind." Troy said. "It's my ride so I drive."

I looked around for the two kids but I only saw Kevin. He was drawing a picture of a what looked like a wolf. "Look I'll stay behind but you gotta let the kids go with you."

"NO WAY! Why should we let those brats go. I say we leave 'em." Bill said.

"How about we leave your bald ass! They're just kids and you wanna leave them to die!" I said as I brought out one of my revolvers and pointed it at Bill. "And ya know what? Fuck you Bill! Maybe if I kill your ass, then I can finally get rid of my nut ass headache!" Bill looked at me with fear and panic.

"You wouldn't shoot me!" He said with a nervous chuckle. "You're bluffing!"

I narrowed my eyes at him. "You ready to take that chance you bald fuck?!" I clicked the the chamber and locked the bullet. "Try me motherfucker…" I said dangerously.

"Go to hell you pussy ass bi-"

~BANG~

I shut him the fuck up with a bullet to his knee. He gasped painfully and his body slumped against the now bloody counter.

"... Piece of shit…" I muttered as I shoved my revolver back into my pants. Wanda came up to me with a glare.

"Was that really necessary?!" She asked angrily. "We don't need to have the rest of the group feeling uncomfortable.

"Baldy's breathing makes me uncomfortable." I said back to her. I then walked over to Troy. "Listen to me and listen good. If there is any chance that Kevin and his big sister make it outta this shit show alive, then I'm willing to take it! If that means that you drive them up north and leave me, then so be it."

"Damn...ok I'll see what I can do." Troy said.

I nodded to him and walked over to Kevin. He looked at me and said "Hi Mr. Chase." My cold look softened at his young voice.

"What's up kid?" I asked him.

"Nothing. I'm just drawing." He said back to me. I nodded and took a look. It was actually pretty damn good.

"That's good." I said to him. "You know where your sister is?" I asked him.

"She said she was going to the bathroom." He replied. I nodded once again and headed to the bathroom. I knocked a couple of times but got no response.

"Yo! Mariam, you alright? I gotta talk to you and your brother about something." I said.

"..." Still no response. I was getting worried now so I decided to slowly turn the door knob.

"I'm coming in, ok." I said before I opened the door and I let in a heavy gasp. "Aww shit... damnit!" I said with a mixture of frustration and sorrow. There she was, laid out on the floor next to two empty bleach jugs. She was pale and her eyes were lifeless. I moved next to her limp body and looked at her. "Oh my God. What the fuck!" I shouted getting pissed. She was still young. Way too young to feel like she had to kill herself.

"What's wrong?!" Wanda said as she and the rest of the group flooded into the bathroom. "Why did you…" Her eyes trailed down to the dead preteen. "Oh shit…" She looked away with sadness.

My eyes trailed over to the group. My heart just about sank when I saw Kevin's pained look of sadness. Hot tears stream down his face.

"Kevin...look away…" I muttered to him.

(MIDNIGHT'S POV)

This whole situation was just so fucking awkward. After my parents stated all of those accusations and quick conclusions, Nina gave me a distrustful look as I brought her to my room.

"..." She didn't say anything.

I sighed and decided to start talking. "Listen, about what my parents said... it's just that...look, that's not me anymore!" I told her.

"Oh really? How many girls have you brought to your house and said that line to?" She asked.

"None of them. Up until last week I was chasing girls and doing with them what I wanted. But I've changed. I'm not looking for just meaningless sex, I want to try a real relationship! I want to see how it feels to really care about someone like that. I want what my friend R has right now." I said with all of my honesty.

"..." She didn't say anything but her distrustful look faded.

"Please Nina. I want this to work. I wanna wake up one day and be content with the woman I'm in bed with. Just give me a chance." I begged.

"... We'll see…"

Just then, Kate began to knock on the door saying dinner was ready. Nina narrowed her eyes a bit. "Who's that?"

"Don't worry about her. She's just a maid. I see her as a sister." I said quickly.

"...Right…" She said as we made our way down to the dining room. I decided to take a seat near Nina and away from my parents. The atmosphere of the room was extremely tense and awkward. On top of that, there was an ominous silence that I hated.

"So Milton, where did you meet Ms. Vastuo?" My mother asked.

"At the mall…" I replied distantly.

"I see…" She said.

"Excuse me Ms. Vastuo, may we ask you a few questions?" My father chimed in.

"Um... sure." Nina said nervously.

"What is your social standing? I've never heard of a Vastuo so I assume you are apart of the lower class." He said in "matter of fact" tone of voice.

"FATHER!" I shouted at him with frustration.

"Hush up boy! Let the girl speak."

"I'm not apart of the upper class but my family is doing just fine!" Nina said with slight irritation. Oh how I loved her short temper.

"Just fine you say? Interesting…" He said. Taking a bite out of his steak.

"Who do you live with?" My mother asked.

"My mom and my little brother." Nina spoke.

"Where's your father?" My mom pressed on.

"He...uh, he left us…" Nina said sadly.

"Hmm what a pity." My father said with distaste. "A weak man that couldn't even help his struggling family. What a shame."

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" I shouted at my parents as I slammed my hands on the table and stood up. "You two need to leave her the fuck alone!" I said to them.

"Don't you dare raise your voice at me, boy!" My father said standing up. "And you'd best watch your mouth!"

"Fuck that! You wanna know something?! You ain't shit, dad! All you two do is leave your only son alone all the time, and when you do decide to come back, you criticise my new friend! FUCK YOU!" I shouted. I was gonna keep going until Nina grabbed my hand softly and gave me a kind look.

"...How much do you care for this... girl? It's not like you to go looking for commitment." My father spoke.

"Alot. I'm not the same dad. You'd know this if you and Mom were here more often." He said.

"...And you're serious about her?" My mom asked.

I looked into Nina mezmorizing eyes and smiled at her. "Yeah, I am."

"...Well then... I'm expecting you to be more responsible and honest with your decisions." Dad said sternly.

I nodded to him. "Yes sir."

"Well then, I'll trust your judgement. DON'T prove me wrong." He said as he and my mother left the dining room.

(CHASE'S POV)

"Kevin, look at me buddy." I said to the sobbing boy.

"W-why would s-she... leave me...all alone?" He said with tears streaming down his face. I was NOT good with kids and this was hard to handle, but seeing him like this...it got to me. All I could think of was that crying child in the alley way...only back then, I had my uncle to guide me through those fucked up times. I'll never forget what he did for me. No one should have to feel alone in the world. Especially not a shitty ass apocalyptic one.

I crouched down to his level and placed my hands on his shoulder. "I know it's hard to lose family. I was just like you. I lost my mom, dad and my big brother. I know it hurts to lose. Trust me, I lose all the time, but you just gotta man up and be tough. Can you do that?" I asked him.

He sniffles and picked his chin up. His teary brown eyes stared into to my cold blue ones. "... I'll try." He said shakily.

"Good. Now go get some sleep. You gotta get up early tomorrow." I told him. He nodded his head a laid on one of the sleeping bags. I sighed and walked over to the opposite side of the room and sat on the counter top. I pulled out my Arsenal and looked at it. The damn thing still said "inactive" for shit sake. I placed it back into my pocket as I laid down and closed my eyes.

-Flashback-

"How you holding up kid?" A gruff voice said to me. We were in my uncle's white pickup truck heading down to his house.

"..." I stayed silent. Tears still falling down my cheeks.

"Listen kid, I know you may have seen some things that you just can't understand, but you gotta pick your head up and stay strong. I'm gonna take care of you now, ok? You got nothing to worry about." My uncle said to me.

"I'm gonna miss them…" I said sadly.

"...I know kid... I know."

-Forty Minutes Later-

We had finally arrived at my uncle's house. It wasn't anything fancy but it did look nice. When we stepped inside he looked at me and said "Why don't you go ahead and get some rest kid. I gotta go take care of something important."

I nodded and headed upstairs to the room I usually slept in when I came to visit him. I laid down on the bed and automatically began to cry. "Why did they take them away from me? Who were those bed people?!"

I held my head with frustration. "I want my family back…I wanna see them again!" I shouted. I walked out of the bedroom and towards the bathroom. I could hear bits and pieces of my uncle's conversation on the phone.

"Yeah, well just how long will it take for the first one to be put into development?" My uncle asked. There was a brief pause. "Listen I don't care how long it takes! My brother didn't die for no fucking reason! You understand me you asshat?! Get "Arsl-series model No.1" in development, NOW!" My uncle hissed dangerously before hanging up. I stopped my eavesdropping and continued to the bathroom. I went in and shut the door. I opened the sink's bottom cabinet and pulled out the box cutter. The blade was sharp which was just what I needed. I looked at myself in the mirror. I looked broken. I just didn't want to live in this crazy world anymore. I lifted the the utility knife and sent it right through my abdomen.

"GAAAAH!!!" I screamed out as I dropped the bloody knife and fell to the floor with a harsh thud. My own blood, staining the white and black tiles. Before I knew, I had passed out.

"...Kid…"

"...Kid…"

"...Wake up kid!" I heard my uncle say to me. I opened me eyes to see my back in the bedroom. My uncle's paranoid look was plastered on his face. "What the hell were you thinking?! You could have died!"

"...That was the point…" I said.

"Listen to me and listen good. I don't want you to EVER pull some shit like that! Do you understand?! That's the coward's way out. You live your life to the fullest! You hear me? You have to be strong! Fight until you die kid. That's what separates the men, from the pussies in the world." He said sternly before he walked out of the room. His words hit me hard. I'm not kidding. They truly did.

-Flashback End-

I placed my hand to the stitched up scar on my lower abdomen as I finally fell asleep.


	51. Disarmed and Disposed

Chapter 51

(CHASE'S POV)

It was bright and early in the morning when I woke up. I hopped off the counter and walked over to Kevin, who was still asleep.

"Hey kid. It's time to get up." I said, shaking him awake.

"...Ok…" He said still half asleep.

I sighed and looked at him. "Fine. You get five more minutes. After that, you gotta get up."

"Ok Mr. Chase." He said.

I walked around the empty ass convenient store. Nobody was in here. "What the hell…" I looked over to the counter where Wanda and I placed the gasoline. It was clear. The Jerry cans were gone. I heard a faint sound and muffled dialogue coming from out back. I silently creeped my way over to the back door and slowly opened it. My eyes widened at the sight of the group loading supplies into the red van. I listened closely to their conversation.

"Hurry up Troy! We gotta head out before the fucking blonde wakes up and sees us." Bill said.

"Maybe if your lazy ass came over here and helped…" Troy snapped back at Bill.

"Are you sure this isn't wrong? The kid did help get the gas." Wanda said with concern in her eyes.

"Listen, we already got enough to worry about. There's just not enough space Wanda." Troy said.

"I say fuck them. Just more trouble." Bill said with a smirk. Yep, that did it.

I busted the door open and aimed both of my guns at all of the bastards in front of me. "What are ya doing?! Huh? Tryna dip on me?"

The all looked panicked. They were clearly shocked at my presence. "Chase?! We were just-" Wanda started.

~BANG~

I shut her ass up with a bullet to the head. Troy tried to pull out his gun but I quickly tapped two shots to his chest. I then heard a click sound. I looked over to see Bill with a hunting rifle in his hand, pointed at me.

"You stupid kid. You just fucked yourself." He said.

"Fuck you Bill!" I said furiously. "I'm taking that van you son of a bitch."

"Try me you you chicken shit, pussy." He said. I was stumped. I wasn't sure what to do. One wrong step could get my brains blown out.

~BANG! BANG! BANG!~

Three loud ass shots were what I heard next. I looked to my right to see Kevin holding a CZ 75 handgun. His eyes were closed and the gun was shaking in his small hands. Bill had dropped his gun. He had been shot once in his shoulder and once in his left thigh. I didn't hesitate for a single moment. I wasted no time running up to Bill and giving him a face full of size fourteen Timberlines. I shattered his nose which was now leaking profusely. I then lifted my boot and sent it crashing down on his good knee. The prick wasn't walking now.

"...J-just kill me already." Bill said.

"No. I got something special planned for you." I said to him with a ton of maliciousness. I looked back to Kevin. He was still shook about the whole situation. "Kevin, get in and buckle up. I be with you in just a sec. I dragged Bill over to a rack in the convenient store and tied him up with some duct tape that I saw lay around in the store.

"What the fuck are you doing?!" He asked frantically.

"...Shut the fuck up Bill…" I said as I moved to the front door. I could see the horde of zombies surrounding the place. I kicked the door and gave Bill one last look. He was still struggling. "I'll see you in hell you motherfucker." I lifted my gun in the air and pulled the trigger. The loud sound drew the attention of the mutated freaks. The all began to charge towards the store. I ran as fast as I could to the back door before locking it behind me. All I could hear were Bill's bloody screams and pained grunts. Was it fucked up of me to let him get eaten by like eighty zombies? Yes. Did I give a shit? Fuck no!

I hopped inside of the van and strapped myself in. I looked next to me to see Kevin giving me a questioning glance. "What happened?" He asked me.

"Nothing I wouldn't wouldn't do again. Now get ready because I'm not the safest driver." I reversed out of the alley way, hitting several of the mindless bastards. I then stepped on the gas and took off to our destination.

(R'S POV)

I was hopping from building to building in search of my target. I was extremely bored so I decided to go on a mission to past the time. I loved working at night. I felt like Batman!

I had dropped down into some large park. It was pretty empty. There was no one here but me. I walked around until I got to a lake. The moon shined brightly against the surface of the lake. It looked amazing. I should take Raven here one of these days. I kept looking at the beautiful water until a figure came into view. She looked at me and seemed to have a playful interest in her eyes. When I blinked, she was gone from sight. I looked around for her but had no luck. I was gonna turn around to leave but ended up staring at and girl with golden eyes and white hair. I stared at her nervously before trying to introduce myself.

"Hi! I'm Rodman but you can call me R." I said kindly to her. She giggled and poked me in the chest.

"You're it. Catch me if you can." She then leapt up into the air, hoping back towards the city.

"...Fine by me! Power Boots gimme a boost!" I said as my boots glow. I crouched down, cracking the ground beneath me and sprung up after her. We hopped around all throughout the city. She just kept going and going. I was struggling to keep up with her. This went on for about an hour before she came to a stop on what was like the tallest building in Center City. I looked at her as I tried to catch my breath. "Wow. You're pretty good at roof jumping. You should try it with my friend Nyjii. He's good too." I said to her. She remained silent though. Her long black dress was flowing in the cold December wind. "Uh...you ok?" I asked her.

"... You're part of the AOF, right?" She asked catching me off guard.

"Maybe... who's asking?" I questioned.

"I'm Y" She said to me with a slight grin. I looked at her with confusion.

"Y? What kinda name is Y?" I asked her. She then began to laugh at me question.

"You are too funny!" She said. I don't get it though…

"Right…anyway, why did you ask if I was part of the AOF?" I asked.

"Oh I was just…" She said as she stepped in front of me. "... curious…" She finished before licking her lips. "Listen R, I've got a little proposition for you."

"And what would that be?" I asked.

"If you can pass three of my test, then I'll give you a special reward." She said grinning.

"Oh snap! Is it cake?! I love me some came!" I said to her. She shook her head.

"Not exactly R." She said.

"Well whatever. I'm super bored so let's get on with the test!" I said pumped up.

"Excellent…"

(CHASE'S POV)

"Hey Kevin, pass me a Snickers bar." I told him. He reached into the duffle bag and pulled out my favorite piece of candy.

"Here Mr. Chase." He said to me as he handed me my snack.

"Thanks kid." I said as I ate the bar. We were driving for about an hour and a half up north. To be honest, it was pretty dull. I mostly just made random conversations with Kevin to pass the time. "You into superheros, right?" I asked him.

"Yeah. My favorite is Spider Man." He said.

"Oh really now? That's what's up. My favorite was always Batman. He didn't need powers to kick some ass. I grew up with Batman comics." I said with a chuckle. "Hell, I always did wanna be a part of the Bat family."

"I like Batman too." He said smiling.

We were driving down a narrow road, coming up to a small intersection. I decided to continue forward. I then heard what sounded like a speeding vehicle flying down a street. I looked to my left and saw black SUV ram into the side of the van. The force of the hit sent the van tumbling into a nearby building. My head slammed against the window of the van, smashing it to shards. The van was now in ruin as it laid upside down inside of the wrecked cafe. My vision was blurry and I felt my left cheek leaking. I looked over to see Kevin was unconscious. I had unbuckled his seatbelt and did the same to mine. I tried to get us the fuck outta the destroyed van but I too fell into unconsciousness.

(BLAKE'S POV)

"Damnit!" I shouted. How could I let him go through with that mission! I felt terrible. The idea of Chase going into that fucked up area and dying didn't sit right with me. If it were up to me, I wouldn't have sent him, but it wasn't. I was just the guy the guy that sent people on their mission and briefed them on their targets. Chase's mission was a special case. The Director himself along with Captain Commander decided to send him alone to "prove his worth". This whole mission was suicide! They even went far enough to shut off his Arsenal.

I was in deep thought while I sat on May's porch waiting for her. Her dad wouldn't let me in so I had to stay outside. I was just so confused by everything. I never wanted Chase to die but I couldn't do anything about that. I looked up and saw two figures dashing through the sky. One was clearly a female. Her bright white hair was visible in the night sky. The other figure was a guy that I recognized right away. Only one person has those golden boots and gauntlets. R follow right behind her. As quickly as they appeared, they soon disappeared. I stared up confused. What the hell was R doing this time. He was always doing something wild or adventurous. I admired his commitment to the AOF. He takes it seriously. I still remember when he first became an operative.

-Flashback-

"Whoa where am I?" A kid said behind me. I looked back to see a black haired thirteen year old kid with red eyes staring at the place in awe. We were inside of the AOF HQ.

"Who are you?" I asked him.

"My name is Rodman Mason Damine! My friends call me R... well my only friend is Sonna." He said.

"Well hello R. How did you get...wait did you say Sonna?" I asked.

"Yeah he did." I heard a female voice say to me. I saw Sonna walk into the room casually as she placed a hand on the top of R's head. "He's got an Arsenal Blake. He passed his trial so it only makes sense that I bring him here to get approved." She said.

"But he's only thirteen. You and I JUST became operatives. You want this scrawny kid to join us now?!" I asked with shock.

"Yes Blake and I'd watch it if I were you. He may not look like much but he can hit hard as hell." She told me as she ruffled the kid's hair. "Now I got a mission to finish. Go get him approved already." She then walked off.

"This is all so COOL!" The shouted.

"R, come on and let's get this over with." I told his. We had walked over to the the front desk where Carry, our surveillance specialist sat at. "Yo Carry. You know where the Director is?"

She sighed and looked at me and the kid with confusion. "Uh...yeah he's in office as usual Blake."

I nodded my head and lead the kid to the Director's office. I knocked on the door nervously until I heard "Enter!"

I opened the door and the Director was there, sitting at his desk sipping a cup of what I assumed was wine. I cautiously stepped in with R trailing behind me. "Uh...hello sir."

"What are you here for Agent Stryder?!" He asked me assertiveness.

"I'm here to get you to approve this kid. I know he's you but Sonna thinks-"

"APPROVED!" He said. He then gestured us to get out.

"Uh...ok sir…" I walked the kid out of the office and he looked at me with a confused look.

"Is that it?" He asked. His golden box began to glow and he was then engulfed in a bright gold light. When the light faded, he was standing there in his combat attire. "WHOA!!! I look cool!" He looked at himself grinning.

"Welcome to the AOF kid, now c'mon. It's time for combat practice!" I told him as we went to the training chambers.

-Flashback End-

Damn that was like three years ago. He really has grown since then...he's still scrawny as hell though.

(CHASE'S POV)

"Mr. Chase!" I heard Kevin call to me. I opened my eyes to see him looking at me with panicked eyes. I noticed that he was outside of the van that I was trapped inside of. I tried to move but my right arm was stuck in place and was in excruciating pain. The inside of the van was extremely hot as well. I took a good look at my surroundings and noticed that the van was on fire and my arm was crushed underneath it. I tried to pull my arm free but it wouldn't budge. I looked up at the worried Kevin.

"Kid, run over to that building over there." I gestured him to the cafe the we smashed into. "Wait in there and take cover." The car was gonna blow and I had to hurry this up. Kevin did as he was told and moved inside of the cafe. I reached forward and grabbed the top half of my crushed right arm. With a quick motion, I jerked it upwards, effectively snapping and bending my elbow out of place. I the grabbed my katana and stared nervously at my now broken arm. "Fuck me to hell…" I bit down hard on my shirt and stabbed into my arm. Pain radiated throughout my entire body as my blade sunk deeper into my arm. I pulled slightly, exposing the inner folds of my skin and muscles. I hacked away at the inner layers of flesh. Blood continued to splatter everywhere. Every time I cut a nerve, I felt as If I was dying from the inside out. The pain was excruciating and I almost slipped back into unconsciousness as I did this. My screams of agony were only muffled by my shirt. I pulled my almost severed arm back a little more, finally exposing the slightly cracked bone. I took the hilt of my sword and bashed it against the bone, widening the crack. When the bone seemed fragile enough, I lifted the blade back up and in one swift chop, my arm was split. I had just successfully amputated my arm. I crawled free of the flaming vehicle and ran as fast as I could to the cafe. I dived to cover as the vehicle exploded. I took off my shirt and tightly wrapped it around my severed arm in hoped of easing the bleeding. My white tank top instantly became red.

"Mr. Chase! Your arm!" Kevin shouted in alarm.

"Yeah kid...I know... I'm gonna miss the damn thing too." I said before slowly crawling to my feet. I brought out one of my revolvers and handed it to the kid. "That's a Ruger GP100. It's not like the gun you fired earlier. This one packs more of a punch. You only got eight shots left in there kid. Make them count. Only use it for emergencies, got it?"

"Ok Mr. Chase." He said with a nod.

"Good because we might run into some trouble. We got about two more miles north until we get to the military base." I said as I grabbed my katana and looked at my reflection. The scar under my left eye mirrored the one Devon had. "We gotta stick together. Stay close to me." Kevin nodded as we began to continue our journey up north on foot.

-Forty Minutes Later-

So far it had been about forty minutes and I was getting light headed. We were so close, you could practically see the place in the distance. I began to slow my walking speed until I eventually dropped to the floor. I was losing consciousness once again. Kevin stopped his walking and ran back over to me. "Mr. Chase! What's wrong?" He asked in a panic.

I looked up at him with blurry vision. "Damnit! I-I'm...sorry kid. This is...as far as I go. I...lost more blood...than I thought..." I struggled to say.

"You have to get up! We're almost there! I can see the smoke in the distance. It has to be the base!" He said, hopefully.

I tried my hardest to get myself to my feet. I truly did, but I just couldn't. I was too worn out. "Kid, just go... You'll be safe. If you...end up safe...then my mission was a success. Please just go Kevin."

"But I don't wanna leave you to die." He said sniffling.

"I'll be fine... I'll catch up with you." I lied. This was it for me. I lost to much blood at this point. I wasn't gonna make it, but as long as this goddamn kid gets to live, then I just don't give a shit.

"Are you sure?" He asked with tears in his eyes.

"...Yeah..." I used all of my energy to tell him that.

"Ok. I'll wait for you at the base. If you don't show up, I'll come back for you!" He said before sprinting forward.

"... Goodbye...kid..."


	52. Truth for a Lie

Chapter 52

{January 3rd}

-Days Later-

(R'S POV)

"PLEEEEAAAASSSEE!!!" I continued to beg. I wanted to know where Chase was so I decided to ask Masha if she knew anything about his mysterious absence. Only downside was that she kept denying me the info.

"You are really getting on my nerves now…" She said with a chilling tone.

"I'll shut up if you tell me." I told her. She glared at me and before I knew it, my lips were frozen shut. "...mmm mmhmm mhhmm!" I mumbled a bunch of swears at her.

"If I knew where he was, I'd be in his strong, warm arms right now!" She snapped at me. She then walked away from me.

I was now left to my thoughts. Something just wasn't right. Karren is missing, Chase is missing and Midnight seems busy all the time. What is going on around her?!

-Fifteen Minutes Later-

School sucks! Winter break was way too short. I can't believe that I'm back in this lame ass classroom. I took my seat the was in the back of the class. I saw Sonna enter with a distant look. Something was wrong, I could tell. I was happy to know that she was still around. After the brawl with the Prototypes, me and her haven't talked much. I felt kinda bad about that. I'm gonna make it a point to talk to her later. I noticed how everyone piled inside of the class except for Chase.

(MIDNIGHT'S POV)

DAMN! I feel like a straight up jackass! It's been days since I've heard from my best friend and I'm just now noticing that shit?! FUCK!

I looked up towards the front of the class and saw Blake sitting there with a look of disappointment on his face. He held that damn look since I got here. I was beginning to think that he was holding onto some information that I needed, and I was going to get it!

The bell had rung and the class began to depart. As Blake made a move for the door, I ran up to him and firmly placed a hand on his shoulder. "...You and I need to talk."

"... About-"

"Stop! Don't give me your bullshit! Just start talking, NOW!" I snapped. "Where is Chase!"

"..." He remained silent.

I snarled and sent him a punch to his face. "I won't ask twice!"

"He was sent on a mission a few days back." He finally replied.

"WHERE!?" I shouted.

"... Atlanta Georgia. He was there to locate any survivors and free them from the outbreak."

That got me confused. "Outbreak?"

"JIN Corps. new project. It went wrong and lead to a widespread mutation. Georgia is overrun with mindless mutated, cannibalistic freaks." He said.

"Ok so what happened to my friend?" I questioned.

"ANSWER ME GODDAMNIT!!!" I yelled getting impatient.

"... I'm sorry Milton…" I didn't want to hear those words. He had to be lying.

"You're bullshitting me! You've gotta be!"

"No Milton." He pulled out a white box that I recognized right away. "... I'm serious."

I tossed him to the ground. "You...you bastard! He can't be dead! I can't lose another friend! I CAN'T!!!" I was beyond angry now.

"Milton just relax-"

"YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP! This shit is your fucking fault!" I turned my back to him and started walking off.

"Midnight…" Blake called out to me.

"I refuse to believe this shit. Until you show me his dead, lifeless corpse, I refuse to believe!" I told him as I stormed off.

-Later That Day-

School had ended and I still couldn't get my mind off of Chase's supposed death. It just didn't make sense! How could he just die on me and after what happened to Karren?! That jackass!

I was walking down the street, stuck within my fucking thoughts when R came running up to me looking pissed off.

"That's it! I've had it with the secrets and shit! What the hell is going on. Where have you been?! Where's Chase? Where's Karren?" He asked angrily.

"Listen R, now's not a good time for this." I responded.

"No! You need to start talking. NOW!" He snapped back. I was losing patience. I had to find Chase for shit sake!

"R. Get the fuck outta my way. I said now was not the time for this." I replied, dangerously.

"Just tell me damnit! They're my friends too. I'm worried about them!" R shouted.

"You don't get it! They were everything to me! You didn't know them like I did so just shut the fuck up!" I said, once again pissed off.

"Then help me fucking understand!" He said as he shoved me back.

I responded by pushing him to the floor. "You wanna fucking know so goddamn bad? Then go ask the fucktard named Blake!" I walked past him, heading home.

(R'S POV)

"DAMNIT MIDNIGHT!" I shouted in his direction. I had to know what happened to my friends.

With a quick button press, I was inside of the HQ. I decided to follow Midnight's statement and ask Blake about the whole situation. I knew he'd be here. He spent all of his free time at HQ.

I walked around the place for about an hour or so, looking all over for him. I finally found him hauled up inside of the gym. He was sitting there looking at the floor beneath him with a look of deep thought plastered on his face.

"Yo Blake." I said to my old mentor.

He looked up at me with a depressed look. "Oh, hey R." He said sadly.

"Ok, what the hell! What happened to Karren and Chase?! Midnight said you knew!" I said harshly.

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Something I should've stopped."

"Tell me!" I shouted at him.

"They died! Karren was killed by an unidentified rival assassin with a bounty. Chase...he died during a mission in Atlanta Georgia. He's been gone for days now." Blake huffed out.

I was shocked to say the least. I didn't expect him to tell me they died. No wonder why Midnight was angry. He lost his best friends. I was speechless. I didn't know what to say. They just died, like that? Fucking hell! I was snapped outta my thoughts when another operative stepped into the room.

"Uh, Mr. Stryder, Mr. Damine, we have a code red. An urgent assignment is on standby." He said.

"Ok Carlos, we'll be right there." Blake said as he stood up. He looked at me grimmly. "We'll talk later but for now, we've got a mission." I nodded as we headed to the briefing room. Blake looked over the mission objective. "Well shit... We're dealing with an assassination attempt on the president. We have to intercept the killers and protect him at all costs."

"How many assassins are we dealing with." I asked.

"Our source is reporting five hostiles down with the West wing of the White House." Blake responded.

"He, only five?! This'll be easy!" I said cracking my knuckles. "I'll take them all out."

"No! You're not going alone. I won't make that mistake again. You're going with backup." Blake said sternly.


	53. Operation DECLARATION

Chapter 53

(R'S POV)

It was me, Midnight, Carlos and some chick who's name I forgot. We were at the vantage point ready to intercept our targets.

"Rival assassins…They just might be the assholes that killed Karren!" Midnight growled.

"Relax dude. We gotta wait till Blake gives us the go-ahead." I told him.I looked over at Carlos and the other girl. "Ok. We are the new team Arsenal. Just follow me and Midnight's lead."

The girl chuckled and walked up to me. "Relax. I've been doing this for quite some time now." Those were her first words of the night.

"Uh, ok." I noticed something about her voice that seemed really attractive to me. I quickly shook those thoughts away. I'm a committed man! I could never even think about two timing my lady! I mentally kicked myself.

"Uh guys. We got activity going on down there." Carlos spoke from his spot on the roof.

Just then, Blake's voice rang out to us. "Positions people! It's go time!"

I materialized my sniper rifle and took aim. I looked down the scope to see any suspicious figures. I looked back towards Midnight. "Midnight, move in! Tangos are flooding inside of the White House! MOVE!" I commanded. "Carlos, other girl, cover his flank. We'll regroup in the West wing."

My team flew forward and I vanish stepped ahead of them, crashing through the window. I landed inside of the bedroom of the White House. Right away, I saw the president and his family. The two secret service guys pointed their guns at me. I vanished behind them and knocked them both out.

"Who the hell are you?!" The President asked.

"Shut up and stay hidden. I'm better protection than the secret service." I said

He nodded and ran off to the closet with his family. Now it was just a matter of time.

(MIDNIGHT'S POV)

I charged through the front door and GODDAMN it was a massacre. Bodies of the secret service were littered all over the place. It was a fucking gore fest. On the top of the steps were three masked figures. One of them was holding a guard by the throat. His hood covered the top half of his mask. I noticed that he was the bloodiest one out of the trio.

"Please just let me go! I got a family to feed!" The guard begged.

"Should've thought about that before you took this risky ass job." The figure with the half mask stated.

"Put him down!" I shouted at them as I materialized my M16.

Before I knew what happened, a sharp, bladed tail lunged out and pierced the poor bastard straight through the chest. The tailed freak tossed the limp body directly in front of me.

"Look who's joining us tonight, Jackal! It's the shitcocks from the AOF." Said the guy with the half mask.

The female in their group just sighed and looked in my direction. "Can we just kill them and be done with it already." She said with a bored expression while pulling up her sleeve revealing her bladed glove. She leapt up into the air and dived down at me. I side stepped out of the way and shot at her. She quickly dipped and dodged my many bullets. She went to pounce on me but was shoulder charged by Carlos. The bitch got sent flying in the air. She twisted herself gracefully and landed on her feet.

I looked at Carlos with a questioning glance. "Aren't you gonna suit up or something?"

Carlos smirked and banged his fist against the center of his chest. With a flash of light, he was transformed into some high tech cyborg. "Sorry mi hermano. This is what I really look like."

"Holy shit!" I said, surprised. Dude was a fucking cyborg!

"Big fucking deal!" Said the bitch. She dropped down and went for a few swings. That did nothing against Carlos though. He just stood there and took them. The weird girl then did a real aerial front flip dropkick to the bitch.

"Aww c'mon Melina. Getting your ass kicked already?" Stated the half masked man. The chick snapped and glared at him.

"Fuck off shrimp dick!" She yelled at him.

"Well shit. C'mon Jackal. Let's go help the bitch in need." Half mask guy said, chuckling.

The other two landed harshly on the ground. "Three on three? Fine by me!" I said.

(R'S POV)

There was a loud bang on the door. I stayed silent. A couple of seconds later, the door was busted wide open and two dark figures appeared. Right away, I activated my Gauntlets and looked at my enemies.

"Not sure who you are, but you screwed up by coming here!" I said through grit teeth.

"Only one of you is gonna try and stop us? A foolish mistake." Said the taller one. He looked at his partner for a moment. "You want first dibs or should I handle him?"

"...I don't care." The shorter one replied.

"Well then in that case, I'll handle him myself. You search for the president." The taller one ordered.

"Yeah yeah, whatever!" The short one said.

"I won't let you!" I said. Where the hell were the others at?! We were supposed to meet up here. They must've ran into the other hostiles. This whole thing was already not going as planned.

I was snapped outta my thoughts when a black boot collided with my chin. I staggered back into a wall.

"Fine. I guess it's fight time." I had to get the group together so I punched the ground with my Gauntlet cladded fists, breaking the floor beneath us. We landed in the White House lobby. The first thing I saw was an all out brawl between both my team and the enemies. My two adversaries forced themselves to their feet.

"Pretty daring move. Smart of you to keep us away from the president." The tall one said. He looked over towards the short one. "DayBreak. We got a change of plans. You take the kid, while I finish the task." The short one shrugged his shoulders and stepped forward and faced me.

Before the other could get away, an arrow flew right past me and struck him in the bicep. "The fuck?!" He hissed. Then a figure appeared right in front of me. One I didn't expect to see right now. I was speechless.

"It's you!" I said surprised. "But how did you-"

"Blake called me. I wasn't sure of what was going on but I knew I had to get here ASAP."

(MIDNIGHT'S POV)

I was dipping and dodging the constant attacks from my opponent at the moment I decided to go on the offensive. Just when I thought I had the upper hand, I was leg sweeped to the floor. The bastard with the half mask brought out a combat knife and went for a quick stab at my midsection. I materialized my tomahawks and parried his attack. He spun off of me and slashed at my back. I hissed in pain as I felt the crimson liquid drip down my body.

"I thought you'd be more of challenge. From our current confrontation, you seem to be in the category of a bitch." He said.

I glared hell at the motherfucker. He just kept on talking shit! I tried to hit him with my tomahawks but he just kept blocking them with his knives. It was getting on my fucking nerves.

"Ya know what? Fuck you!" I shouted while bringing out my shotguns.

"You got toys? Well so do I!" He said as he rolled up his sleeves. On his hands were black gloves with gun barrels all around the wrist. He cocked his gloves back and then balled up his fist. "I call them Shot-Guants! Specially made for me by the all too brilliant Professor S."

"Big deal. You're still dying regardless of what accessories you got on." I snarled at him.

"Bring it fuckboy!" He shouted. We charged at each other as we unloaded shot for shot. Shotgun rounds spread out everywhere.

We were both flipping around as our bullets flew out and clashed with each other. I unloaded shot for shot on the prick. He did the same to me. We both jumped up and blasted our own respective bullets at one another. We both landed and pointed our weapons at each other.

~CLICK~

"Shit!" We said in unison. He put his hands up and got into a fighting stance. I tossed my guns aside and put my hands up and got into the Philly Shell stance.

"A boxer huh? Well let's see what happens when you fight against taekwondo." My enemy said.

"Bring it bitch!" I said back.

He went for a swift side kick. I sidestepped it and threw a cross. He slipped his head outta the way and sent me a quick right hand to the chest. He went to follow up with a left hook, but I rolled the punch and double jabbed him in the face. He stepped back and threw a fake punch making me flinch a bit, and followed up with a 360 kick to the jaw. I was sent to the floor instantly.

"You're not looking so good slutwheat!" He said grinning through his mask. I glared and hopped to my feet.

"You kidding? I could do this shit all day!" I said as I resumed my fighting stance.

(R'S POV)

Holy shit! I was still in shock at the sudden appearance of my long time friend. I stared at her in awe.

"Woah! Sonna, what the hell are you doing here?!" I asked.

"I came to help you out with your little group." She glared at my opponent and then looked back at me with sad eyes. "R I'm so sorry for how I've been acting lately. I wish I was there to stop the death of Karren and Chase...but I wasn't." She looked at the grinning douchebag in front of us. "I never really got to tell him how sorry I was...but that's not important right now. I'm gonna help you no matter what!" She said drawing her bow.

"I don't know about Milton but for what it's worth, I missed you." I said smiling. She smiled back at me and nodded.

The masked figures in front of us looked at us with a chuckle. "You wanna tell them about their friend DayBreak?" The tall one asked.

The "DayBreak" guy laughed like a crazed lunatic. "That Chase guy you were talking about, got slaughtered. I saw him out on the road and decided to end him. He was weak as fuck. The one armed jackass didn't even put up a fight. I killed his lame ass easily."

I glared at the bastard. "You're lying! Chase wouldn't give up!" I shouted.

DayBreak chuckled. "Trust me. Your friend is dead. He truly is!"

I glared at the use of Chase's signature words. "FUCK YOU!!!" I shouted as I sent him a hard dropkick to his chest sending him through a wall.

Sonna began to fire arrow after arrow at the taller one. He materialized two black machetes and charged forward, slicing through the storm of arrows. Sonna and her opponent began to take off. Moving their fight elsewhere.

I looked back at the man made hole and saw my target step out of it. He cracked his neck and chuckled. "Not bad for a small fry." He said.

I brought out my daggers and readied them. "You're only a couple inches taller than me, jackass!"

"You think those punny ass butter knives are gonna help you?" He asked comically.

"Why don't you come over here and find out?" I threatened.

"Sure thing pal." He materialized two long, black katanas. I mentally gulped as he started sprinting at me.

Our blades clashed together and sparks flew as we ripped them apart and clashed again. He had more leverage on me due to the length of his blades. I pushed off of him and landed on my feet.

"Ok...so maybe these won't cut it. No pun intended." I said to myself. "How about a scythe though?" I brought forth my black and gold scythe and pointed it at him. "Try me bitch!" I said grinning.

"With pleasure!" He replied. I had to be careful. I'm not sure what he's capable of yet. I looked around and saw everyone fighting. The random chick was fighting the clawed, cat woman. Carlos was going against that Jackal guy and seemed to be struggling a bit. Midnight and half mask were duking it out, hand to hand style. They were looking even at the moment, both struggling to get the upper hand.

I was snapped outta my thoughts when a boot collided with my gut causing me to drop my weapon. I doubled over in pain and began to briefly choke on my own spit. "Well whatcha waiting for? Get up and fight."

I grabbed scythe from off of the floor and glared at him. "Cheap shot, ya freaking pussy." I said to him.

He chuckled and brought up his swords. I charged at him with ferocity and malice. I was ready to kill.


	54. Do's and Don't's in the World

Chapter 54

(R'S POV)

This was looking bad. We were getting overwhelmed by our enemies and we were getting exhausted. DayBreak was kicking my ass all over the place, Carlos was struggling to avoid the bladed tail of that Jackal guy and the random girl was taking heavy fire. I didn't even know where Midnight and Sonna were. All I could tell was that things weren't looking good for team Arsenal. We could've really used Chase right now.

"What's the matter kid? I thought you'd be more of a challenge." DayBreak said through the mask. I charged at him and flung my gauntlet cladded fists at him. He slipped all of my wild hits and countered with a vicious right cross. His punch sent me flying into another wall.

I force myself out of the wall and brought out my daggers. "Heheh. You want a challenge huh..? Don't you worry your dead little head about that. I'd be more than happy to slit your freaking throat!" My thoughts were getting cloudy and my judgement was slipping. I wasn't myself, that's for sure.

"Oh really now? Then why don't you come over here and do it." He said.

"With pleasure…" I zipped in front of him and slashed at his chest. My blade only managed to scratch his body armor.

"Gotta try harder than that, kid!" He said playfully.

"Only a matter of time before you bleed!" I said with a devilish smirk. I ran around him, slicing his combat suit more and more with each rotation. I moved in front of him and sent him a well placed uppercut to the jaw. His head popped up and he was sent staggering back.

DayBreak chuckled subtly and then stared at me. His mask hiding his true expression. "Not bad kid...but I don't think I wanna waste my time playing with you. I have a president to murder and that's what I plan to do so if you'd be so kind as to…"

~ **WHAAAMMM!!!** ~

Spit flew straight out of my mouth the second his fist dug into my stomach. I lost feeling inside of myself. This was hands down the most devastating punch I have ever received in my life. He let his fist dig deeper into the forming hole in my gut. Spit soon turned to blood and my vision was blurry. I gasped and choked on my own bodily fluids. "N-nani…" I couldn't even form words.

"...Sit the fuck down!" He finished his previous sentence as he ripped his now bloody, right hand outta the partial hole in my stomach.

I dropped to my knees and clenched my dripping wound in desperate hope of stopping the bleeding, but I was getting weaker by the second. "W-why...are you... doing this..?" I asked slowly.

"Simple…" He said with his back turned to me. He began to walk away from me and towards the direction of the president. "Because I fucking want to!" He then jumped up through the hole in the ceiling that I created. I mentally cursed myself. I failed! I was supposed to lead the team to victory and here I am, out of commission.

(MIDNIGHT'S POV)

"What's so funny, asshole?" I asked the half masked bastard in front of me.

"Oh it's nothing. Just that your little group really thinks that they have a chance. Fucking priceless." He said laughing.

"I've got a lot of pent up frustration and I'm more than happy to let it loose." I then ran at the douchebag and struck him with an elbow. He quickly recovered and threw a cross, colliding with my chest, knocking the wind outta me. He followed up with a high knee to my chin and finished with a back fist to my temple, effectively putting me on my ass. I growled and got up to my feet. I materialized a tomahawk and chucked it at him. It plunged itself deep within his shoulder. I ran up to him, grabbed the handle and yanked it outta him. He retaliated with a swift roundhouse kick to my ribs. I backflipped away from the attack and landed roughly on my feet. "Damn... You're pissing me off." I said.

He then rushed me with a series of consecutive punches. A few struck me but I dodged most of the serious strikes. I caught one of his fists and pulled him into a heavy haymaker. The force from my hit sent him crashing down towards the now slightly cracked floor. He kicked himself up to his feet and gave me a painful dropkick to the chest. The attack knocked the wind outta me but I was able to stand my ground. He shifted his weaponized gauntlets and pointed them at me with a grin. "Your move, bitch!"

I ran around the room in constant hopes of avoiding the endless stream of bullets. I dived behind cover, which just so happened to be the reception desk. I waited it out for what seemed like an eternity. The bullets just kept coming and coming. They were tearing up the whole entire room. I materialized my FN FAL and loaded it. Once equipped I leapt from out of cover and unloaded shot for shot. Bullets whizzed past me and a few scrapped me. We both ran around the room avoiding one another's fire. I quickly reloaded my gun and continued my onslaught of gunfire. He kicked up a table a launched it at me. I front flipped over it and slammed the butt of my gun down upon his skull. He looked dazed so I took this opportunity to deliver a double leg takedown. I dropped my left knee on his throat, crushing his windpipe. He gasped for air as he continued to struggle. "Hehehe, what happened to all the shit talk? All I hear is you suffocating."

His eyes closed and I could tell he had passed out. I wasn't interested in killing his ass so I lifted my knee off of him and walked towards the rest of the group. I saw R on the floor holding himself and the chick whose name slipped my mind was hovering over him, trying to patch him up. I ran up to the grounded R with a look of worry. "R! What happened?!"

"D-don't worry...about me...go protect...the president!" He ordered. The girl looked at me with a mix of emotions.

"What about Carlos?! He needs help!" She said.

"You...go help...him!" R said her.

"No way! I am not leaving you to bleed out! You need medical attention!" She snapped.

"Where's Sonna. Wasn't she just here?" I asked.

"She's...got her hands...full at…the moment…" R said faintly. He looked like he was going to drop.

"Damn! Which one of them hurt you R?!" I asked, getting annoyed with the whole situation.

"Day...Break... He's the one going... after the president. You have to stop him Midnight... It's up to you know…" R choked out.

"Ok. I'll make him pay. I stop DayBreak! I swear!" I shouted. As I started to head off, R stopped me.

"Milton...There's something you should know." Anytime I hear my real name like that, I know it's bad news.

"What?" I responded.

"DayBreak... killed...Chase…"

Those words...those three words were more than enough to send my anger over the edge. I was so filled with rage and hatred that I let out a mighty shout. I jumped through the hole in the ceiling and went after the assassin of my best friend. He. Would! PAY!!!

(R'S POV)

It's all on you now Milton. You have to Avenge Chase's death and save the president. All because I wasn't strong enough. I growled as another wave pain washed over me.

"You gotta relax R, and stop moving! You're making the bandages loose." The girl said to me. It killing me that I didn't know her name so I went to asked.

"What…" I started, but the words wouldn't come out. Her bright eyes left my in a daze.

"...Yes R?" She said. I was speechless. Even though the top half of her face was opened, showing her gorgeous eyes, there I was dying to see the rest of her face.

... What is wrong with me! I have a girlfriend! I am Rodman Damine! I do not cheat on women! But...NO! No buts! Then again...NO! SHE MAY SMELL NICE, AND HAVE NICE EYES, BUT YOU ARE A COMMITTED MAN!

"R...Are you alright?" She asked me.

"R?!" She called out.

"RODMAN!" She shouted.

"I HAVE A GIRLFRIEND!" I accidentally shouted. I mentally slapped myself.

"What?!" She asked.

"I...I'm sorry I just... I wanna...I...uh... you're really pretty! It's just that...I already-"

She cut me off as she lowered the bottom half of her mask and pressed her lips against mine. I was stunned, paralyzed! I didn't realize it but I ended up deepening the kiss. She slipped her tongue inside of my mouth and let it dance around with mine. Her lips held a taste that was like a drug to me. The only other person that made me submit like this was Raven...OH SHIT!

I used all of my might and pushed her off me. As our lips parted, a trail of saliva was left behind. I stared at her with a destroyed look. I just two timed my sweet, lovely Raven! I'm an asshole! A cheating bastard! A Midnight! How could I do that to my own girlfriend! I'm freaking pathetic!

"I can't! I'm sorry but I just...cant! I love someone already. She sweet, kind, smart, athletic, beautiful beyond belief...and she doesn't deserve to be cheated on!" I said. I meant every word of it too. "I'm sorry but, I don't even know your name and I'm sitting here kissing you and I just don't think that it's right for me to do such a thing as that behind her back. I could never live with the thought of breaking her heart. Plus her brother will rip my face off and use it to wipe a dog's ass. I'm sorry but, you should look for some other guy." I said. She started off giggling which caused me to get confused. Her giggling turned into laughter. I watched her with a raised brow. I just rejected her and her she was, sitting on my lap while laughing loudly. "What's so funny..?" I asked.

"R...you are priceless!" She said still laughing.

"Ok, who are you?!" I asked genuinely concerned about my safety. What if she had AIDs...or super AIDs?! Raven would tear me a new ass crack if I told her I had AIDs from another girl.

"R it's me, you jackass. Raven." She shifted her voice back to the one that I loved so much. She removed her entire mask and showed me her gorgeous face. I wanted to say something, I wanted to question her, but all I could do was hug her. "Relax R. I'm not going anywhere." She said with another giggle.

"You... I...how?! How did you become…You're an operative!" I shouted.

"Yeah... I wanted to tell you when I found out about you being in the AOF. Then Shadow lost the damn thing and I just got it back a few days ago." She said.

I kissed her cheek multiple times before I continued talking. "I can't believe it! I thought you were perfect before but now, you're my legitimate goddess! I'm so relieved. I almost thought I cheated on you. I was so freaking scared!"

"Well you're safe...for now…" She said pecking my forehead.

(MIDNIGHT'S POV)

I tackled the bastard to the ground the moment I saw him. I began to slam my fist across his face repeatedly. With each strike his mouth shifted more and more into a smirk. "I'm gonna kill you! You hear me you son of a bitch! I'm gonna fucking kill your ass!" I screamed in his face.

He sent me a nasty headbutt and pushed me off of him. "Midnight was it? Your buddy Chase had so much to say about you."

I ran up to him, swinging wildly. He parried each and every one of my vicious punches. "Shut up. Shut up! SHUT UP!!!" I charged at him with every ounce of my blinding rage. He sidestepped me and lifted his knee into my abdomen, doubling me over.

"Midnight is my best friend, him and R will stop you even if I can't!" He said with a mocking tone. "Your friend was a fool. Not only did I kill him, but I plan on doing the same to you!" He kicked me across the room. Struggled to climb to my feet as DayBreak began to chuckle to himself. "You failed! You and the weak pussy that you call your friend!"

"... UPLOADING NEURAL LINK!" My Arsenal said loudly. I stood up and glared at the bastard.

"Oh this is just wonderful! I hope you'll put up more of a fight than your friends." He said with a grin.

My glare intensified. I ended up in front of DayBreak within seconds and gave him a powerful uppercut. His jaw rattled at the impact of my fist and he dropped to the floor chuckling. "Go ahead and keep laughing. One of us is gonna die and I plan on making it my mission to have it be you, ya sack of shit!"

"Finally! Be the one to grant me the satisfaction of death! Fight me with your full potential! I wanna bleed! I wanna feel pain! Let our fight be a sign of Poetic Justice! Let our fists be the gateway to retribution! Milton Foyer! STRIKE! ME! DOOOOOWWWWNNNNN!!!"

We ran at each other and as our fists clashed a shockwave erupted throughout the entire room, shattering every non-broken window of the White House. I felt a sense of vigor, swell within me. Our souls went into each punch. Every hit that connected was like getting hit full force by a freight train, but we didn't care. The pain didn't stop us, it only motivated us to hit the other much harder. Our fists stopped flying and our hands clasped together. We we're now engaged in an ungodly power struggle. The room began to shake as we poured more rage into battle. He sent me a push kick, sending me back a few feet. I quickly recovered and dealt a nasty blow to his chest with swift jab cross combination I gave him. He rapidly spun around and hit me with a back heel kick. I brushed it off and rushed him down with a flurry of combos. His response was that trade blows back. Our fists collided once more sending us both back.

We were both panting and sweating. We had scratches and bruises all around us. He chuckled a bit and then looked at me with a smile. "What, you prick?" I asked with a dangerously low tone of voice.

"I know you feel it. This fight is exciting you just as much as me! You won't admit it but you know it's true." He said.

"I'm only excited about butchering your sadistic ass!" I snapped.

He materialized two long black katanas and smirked. "Well then why don't we up the tension." he said pointing his blades at me.

I went to materialized my tomahawks but ended up with two large black and blue war axes. "Fine by me. Just means I get to kill you faster!" We pushed off of the floor and launched ourselves towards each other.

"Bring it Midnight!" DayBreak shouted.

"With fucking pleasure you piece of shit!" I shouted back!


	55. Broken Smiles

Chapter 55

(RAVEN'S POV)

As much as I didn't want to leave R, I had to help Carlos. I ran over to the battle between him and the tailed freak. Carlos's arm had formed into a Particle Cannon. He fired blast all over the place. Not one of his attacks connected with his target. The man's tail lunged out at us. We hopped to the side in order to avoid the attack. I looked at Carlos with worry.

"What is that guy?" I asked.

"I'm not sure. All I know is that his name is Jackal." He responded as he ducked under another one of Jackal's swings. "He doesn't talk much."

"Good to know. That saves us the formalities." I materialized my Smgs and opened fire on the silent man. He blocked all the bullets with his bladed tail, deflecting them all over the place. Jack flipped forward and sent Carlos flying into a table. The thing was crushed by Carlos's body weight. Carlos lifted himself up and grunted with annoyance.

"Maldición que duele! El hijo de puta, carajo!" Carlos shouted. He ran at Jackal and shoulder charged him into a wall. Jackal quickly recovered and sent a swift punch to Carlos. I ran up behind Jackal and dealt him a mean bulldog.

His head slammed down into the floor. Carlos ran up to the grounded Jackal and powerbombed him. The floor cracked due to the sheer force of the slam. Jackal did a windmill and swept both Carlos and I to the floor. He gripped me by the throat a flung me across the room. Carlos got up at rushed Jackal with multiple punches. Jackal grabbed one of his arms and held it in place. Carlos pulled his arm in and clotheslined the hell outta Jackal. Jackal gave him a grounded shin kick and flipped himself up. His tail lashed out and struck Carlos's midsection. The tailed blade went straight through Carlos, and was dripping his blood onto the floor behind him.

"CARLOS!" I screamed.

Jackal lifted Carlos up with his tail and flung him over to me. Carlos's body dropped to the floor. His blood splattered everywhere. I was shocked. I thought that he was getting the upper hand but now he's just…

~VVVVVRRRRRRRRR~

The sound of a drill was heard from Jackal's direction. I looked up and surely enough, there he was, walking over to me with his left arm now as a drill. He sprinted at me a went for a strong thrust to my abdomen. I twirled around him and delivered and hard elbow to the back of his head. He staggered forward and before he could recover, I sent him a dropkick to his lower back. He toppled over and looked over his shoulder. He sprung up and attempted to thrust his drill into me once more. I gave him a swift sidekick to his chest. He seemed unfazed by this and simply just readied his drill.

(MIDNIGHT'S POV)

"I won't let you live after what you've done!" I shouted in Daybreak's face.

"You don't get to make that choice!" He bent my arm back and kicked my knee in, causing me to collapse to the floor. "C'mon Milton! What would Chase think?" He bent my arm back more.

"How…do...you know...my name?!" I asked through the pain.

"Your friend wouldn't shut up about him. Milton this, Milton that! What a dumbass!"

"Fuck... you!" I snarled.

"No…~CRAAAAACCCKKK~...Fuck you!"

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH" I wailed with pain. "You bastard!"

"What happened to all that hype. Weren't you going to kick my ass?"

I grit my teeth angrily. I spun around and decked him in his face. I shifted backwards a bit and shrugged the attack off. "Not bad..but not for much longer." I gave him a right cross and followed up with a double jab. He chuckled and cracked his knuckles.

He sprinting towards me and sent me flying with a boot to the gut. I flew back and began to choke on my own spit. I got up and sent him a heavy side kick to his chest. He caught my foot and twisted it viciously. I winced in pain as I heard the sickening snap. I then swung me around the room and tossed me into a bookshelf. DayBreak walked up to me, shaking his head. "Tsk tsk tsk... I thought you'd be better than this Milton. I guess I was wrong." He grabbed me by my collar and lifted me up. "I want you to deliver a message to your friend for me."

"Fuck...you!" I growled at him. I materialized one of my shotguns and blasted him point blank in the face. He dropped me and staggered back, while holding his shattering mask.

"Nice little attack. You caught me off guard. Too bad that won't-"

He was cut off by an explosion that sent us flying back into another room. I saw the president step out of his hiding spot and try to guide his family to safety. DayBreak seemed to take note of this as well because he began to charge at the president. I intercepted the attack by tackling DayBreak to the floor. "Why are you still here?! LEAVE!" I shouted at the family.

"Thank you! I'll bring help." Said the president as he and his family ran out of the room for safety.

DayBreak chuckled and punched me off of him. "That's too bad. I was really hoping to off that guy...Oh well. Guess I'll have to settle for you." He gave me three rapid jabs to the face and followed up with a switch hook to the chin. My head snapped to the side and spit flew out of my mouth.

"F... Fuck you!" I materialized an axe and swung it slowly and sloppily with my one good arm. I caught the axe by the handle and ripped it outta my hand. He spun around and slammed the axe into my upper thigh. "AAAAAHHHH! FUCK!!!" I shoved him back forcefully and dropped to my knees. I pulled the axe out of my thigh and crawled back to my feet.

DayBreak stomped back over to me and gripped me up by the collar of my jacket. "Look at you...You look like a mess Milton. You can't even stand up to me." He materialized one of his Bull Magnums and shot me in the knee, while still holding me by the collar. I winced in pain. "You're worthless…"

~BANG~

He shot me in my upper thigh. The same spot that my axe was in. "SHIT!" I shouted. Blood dripped down the side of my leg.

"You can't even hope to avenge your friend."

~BANG~

"FUCKING HELL!" I growled. He had shot me in my lower abdomen.

"What are you gonna do Milton. Hmm...I wonder...WWCD. What would Chase do?" He chuckled.

~BANG~

"AAAAAAAAHHH!!!" I let out another yell.

"Your fucked Milton Foyer. You truly are."

Before he could shoot me, I sent him the hardest possible punch that I could muster. The force of my punch shattered his mask and caused him to drop me.

"MOTHERFUCKER!" He said angrily. I lifted my head up and my eyes widened with shock.

"What...What the hell are you...but I thought…" I couldn't even finish my sentence. I was left in a state of shock.

"Heheheheh. Well I guess that bomb has been dropped." He walked up to me and smiled a sinister smile at me.

"Ch... Chase?! What the fuck?!" He crouched down with his magnum in his hand and lifted up my head by my hair. He shoved the barrel of the gun in my mouth.

"Look at us...just to best buddies having a good time. You know...when I was getting strapped up in that chair of torture, I thought about my life long regrets. The mistakes I made were...I thought about them, and you know...I just don't give a fuck anymore. I truly don't Milton. When my parents died, when Karren died…" I noticed that he still had that broken smile still plastered on his face. The only thing that changed, was the addition of the fresh tears streaming down his face. "Sometimes... I would just sit alone in my room and ponder on my actions. I was always to weak to make a difference...but know, I gonna change that. Do you know how, Milton? Do you?!"

"..." I stayed silent.

"I'm going to fucking murder everyone. I cutting ties, I'm severing bonds, and I'm not gonna give a singular fuck about it." His tears began to flow more and more. "YOU HEAR ME MILTON! I DON'T GIVE A FUCK!"

~Click~

Just when I thought he was about to blow my brains out, he yanked the gun out of my mouth and put the barrel to his skull and pulled the trigger.

~Click~

He kept pulling the trigger. With each click, he cried harder and harder. He dropped to his knees, still hoping to shoot himself. All I could do was stare at his with sad eyes. "...Chase... please stop…"

"I want this bullshit to end! I wanna just go to hell already!" He shouted.

"Sh...shut the hell up…I already thought that I lost my best friend once." I slowly crawled over to him. "Your life is still a precious thing...even if it might suck sometimes…" I crawled closer to him. He was still pulling the trigger. "There...there are people that still care about you Chase...Me...and R...We came here in hopes of avenging you! We are your friends Chase! We need you with us!"

"No! You don't!" He pointed the empty gun at me. "I'll just get you killed!"

I reached out and grabbed the gun. I took it from him and lowered it. "Just...Stop fighting your friends. We really do care...just... Come back home bro…" I flopped back down to the floor. I was losing too much blood and could barely move. I was slowly blacking out.

"Milton! I'm sorry dude! Please stay with me." I heard Chase shout.

"N...no... don't worry…" I couldn't finish. I had blacked out and lost consciousness.

(CHASE'S POV)

What have I done? What the hell have I become. Why am I even here? Killing the president?! What the fuck?! I don't even remember what happened before all of this. I looked down at my bloody hands and sighed. I knew it was Milton's blood and not my own. He needed help or he was gonna die. I put my hood up and carried over my shoulder. I jumped through the gaping hole in the floor. I landed on the first floor and walked over through the lobby still holding my best friend with my mechanical arm. Destruction was evident given the multiple holes and broken glass. Bullet holes and empty casings littered the floor. I looked to my right and saw R sitting on the ground, passed out. I felt a tinge of guilt for what I did to him. I looked to my left and saw Jackal holding a girl by the throat as he readied his bladed tail. The seemed familiar but I couldn't remember her name. She was close to R from what I know. I had to stop Jackal from slaughtering her.

"Jackal! Stand down. The mission has been compromised. We're leaving. Now!" I demanded. Jack looked at me for a moment. I narrowed my eyes. He tightened his grip on her. The girl gasped at the sudden increase of pressure. "Jackal! I'm not kidding! Put. Her. DOWN!" I hissed angrily. He tightened his grip even more and cocked his tail back. I sighed with agitation. I zipped over to R and placed Milton down next to him. R opened his eyes lightly and looked at me.

"...Ch...Chase? What're you…" He started.

"I'm sorry." I said to him.

I vanished in a puff of smoke and reappeared behind Jackal and grabbed his tail with my mechanical arm. I glared at him and kicked his right knee in. He dropped to the floor, releasing his grip on the girl. She looked at me with a mix between gratitude and confusion. "Who are-"

"Go to the other two. Milt- I mean... Midnight, needs medical attention." I said to her. She nodded and headed over to her comrades. I looked back at Jackal who was still trying to free his tail. "I gave you an order!" I slowly began crushing the metal blade of his tail. "Disregard my orders again…" I materialized one of my katanas and pressed the tip against his back. "... And I promise I will kill you." I said dangerously. I slammed my boot down on him, crashing him to the floor. I looked around for any signs of my fucking brother. I couldn't find him though. "Where is that sonuvabitch?" I muttered.

Just then, him and Sonna came crashing down from through the ceiling. He had one of his machetes against her neck. "READY TO DIE, BLONDIE?!" He said with a devilish smirk. I slowly walked over to them and I sent a devastating kick to Devon and sent him flying back. I got up and looked at me with a glare. "What's the deal?! Why did you stop me...and what happened to your mask?"

I could say the same to you, jackass!" I looked at the banged up Sonna with a hard look. Her eyes seemed to widen when she looked at my hooded face.

"Chase? What are you…How are you…" She started.

"Relax...if I wanted to kill you, I would've done it already." I bent down and scooped her up in my arms. I ignored the redness on her face. I carried her over to the rest of team "Arsenal". I placed her on the other side of R and stared at her.

"Chase...why are you with their group?" She asked.

"... Don't worry about it. I got a question for you!"

"I'll take your silence as my go ahead. What happened to your boyfriend, Zeyco?" I asked.

"What do mean?"

"Why aren't you with him right now. Before winter break, you were all over him. What made you come back to the team?"

"Zeyco has been acting...weird. He's not himself and he's pushing everyone that cares about him, away. He's more hostile and distant now and I don't know why." She said tearing up.

"..." I let her words sink in.

"So what now? Are you just gonna leave your friend and be like Zeyco?" She said with narrowed eyes.

"That's funny, coming from you. I think that I might go on a little hunting trip though." I said with a hard look.

"DON'T GO! He will kill you Chase. He's a lot different from before. You can't beat him. I've been doing a little investigation and I found out that he's been messing around with J.I.N Corp. He's changed!"

"Not sure if you noticed, Toots…" I moved to her left ear and whispered dangerously. "...So have I…" I pulled back and walked over to my "team" and glared at them. Jackal lifted himself up and went to go round up our remaining group members.

"What became of the president, brother?" Devon asked me.

"He got away while you were fooling around with the blonde bitch!" I snapped at him.

"Of course he did…" He sighed with annoyance.

"Fuck off! Don't think I won't kill you! I didn't forget what you did to Karren. You WILL suffer for her death!"

He rolled his eyes at me. "Yeah yeah yeah. Tell it to Michael when we get back to HQ."

"Yeah... about that. I gotta go handle some things so...you guys just go on without me." I began to walk away from him and off to my next destination. I could hear the faint sounds of Devon shouting at me.

(DEVON'S POV)

Stupid little bastard! He's just gonna get reconditioned when Michael finds out that he's going off and doing whatever he wants again.


	56. The Ballad of Rodman Damine

Chapter 56

(R'S POV)

I woke up inside of the infirmary with bandages wrapped all around. Raven was sitting in a chair right next to my hospital bed. She was asleep. I looked to my right a saw Midnight staring at the ceiling with a forlorn look upon his face. He had an arm and leg in casts. I couldn't tell what he was thinking. Chase was still alive but…Shit this was all just messed up.

I sighed and crawled out of the bed. I gave Raven the hospital blanket and started for the door.

"Hey R…" Midnight called out.

"...What is it?"

"What happened to Chase…" He asked sadly.

"... I'm not sure. He saved Raven and just disappeared, I guess."

"...Yeah…" He sighed. "You need help getting home?

"I should be asking you that. Maxwell and William, my servants, are gonna meet me on Third Street. I'll be fine but how are you getting home?"

"Meh... I'll figure it out."

"Yeah, alright." He said.

"Well...Kys bro."

"What?!" He asked confused.

"Keep yourself safe." I chuckled.

"Yeah... You too." He said grinning.

I turned the knob of the door and then looked back at the sleeping Raven. "Tell her that I'm at home."

"Uh, ok." He flashed me a thumbs up.

-AT THE DAMINE'S RESIDENCE-

I quietly opened the door and closed it. I began to slowly tip toe up the stairs avoiding every creak. As I neared the door to my room, the lights flicked on. There she was standing right by the light switch.

"RODMAN JAY DAMINE! DO YOU HAVE ANY CLUE ABOUT WHAT TIME IT IS?!" She shouted.

"M-mom! I can explain all of this-"

"No! I don't wanna hear it! I'm sick of you running around at night and sneaking in all the time." I winced at her tone.

"I know mom and I'm sorry but-"

"What happened to you?! Why are you all wrapped up in bandages?!"

"You see, funny story-"

"Don't you start with me, young man! I'm sick of the lies R. What is going on. This isn't the first time I caught you injured!"

"I...I just…"

Before I could finish, my mother hugged me and sobbed into my shoulder. "R...I can't keep seeing you like this... it's breaking my heart seeing my baby come home looking like you do...R, you're the last thing I have left...please don't leave me like this…"

"..." Her words stabbed right through me. I felt the full effect, and it got to me. Once dad left us…she was never the same. I still remember that day.

-THAT DAY-

"Rodrick please! Just calm down-" My mother tried.

~SMACK!~

"BITCH! SHUT FUCK UP" Dad yelled while slapping her repeatedly. He was drunk as usual but that didn't stop my mom from loving him. He didn't deserve her though. I'll never know why she couldn't leave him. I don't know why she still loves him. Then again, I'll never know why I still loved him either.

~SMACK!~

"DAD STOP" I screamed.

The man turned around and walked over to me. "You got a big mouth boy. Over here screaming and shit!" He punched me in the gut, dropping me to my knees. "I'm gonna tell you one time only. Sit down and shut the fuck up, boy!"

The tears flowed down my face as I held myself. My dad turned back to my mother and glared. "Where is my fucking daughter!" He asked.

"You leave my daughter alone you madman!" My mother shouted.

~SMACK~

"WHERE THE FUCK IS MY-"

"I'm right here dad…" Lauren, my older sister said from the top of the steps. I noticed that she had a bag packed.

"Lauren?! What are you-"

"WHAAAAM!!!~

Spit flung down and out of my mouth after my dad punched me in the jaw.

"What did I say to you, boy?!" My father shouted. "HUH?! SINCE YOU LOVE TALKING, TELL ME WHAT I SAID! TELL ME, BOY!" My father began to kick me relentlessly.

"Rodrick!" My mother screamed.

"DAD!" Lauren shouted from the bottom step.

My dad turned around and firmly grabbed her upper arm. "Get in the GODDAMN car!" He shoved her towards the front door.

"Where are you going with her Rodrick?!" My mother asked.

"None of ya damn business, bitch!"

From my spot on the floor, I could see my older sister crying and crying. I knew what was gonna happen to her. The thought always haunted me. Sometimes I could hear what he would force her to do when mom was out. It disgusted me to no end and I always wanted to help my sister, but I couldn't. His threats scared both of us and as time went on, the threats became the truth. It all made me terrified. Now that Lauren was gonna be with him all the time...the whole thing drove me to tears as well. We were always so close and now she was gonna be her dads fucking cum dumpster! THE MAN WAS SICK.

"By mom...by R…" Lauren said sadly. I haven't seen her face since.

-BACK TO BETTER DAYS-

After the talk with my mother I was laying on my bed, scratching Chipper. My thoughts swirled around inside of my head. I had to see how she was doing. Screw school, I'm going to go see her ASAP! We talked about two years ago and I knew where she lived. She told me it was best to stay away but, I'm stronger now. I can handle whatever I must face in that house.

-THE NEXT MORNING-

I noticed that my mother was still asleep so I left out early. I hopped on my bicycle and began my long voyage to the North Bronx. As I was riding, I got a call from Shadow. I picked up the phone, while riding with one arm.

"Hello?"

"R... please explain what happened to my baby sister…" He said menacingly.

"What are you talking about?"

"WHY THE FUCK IS SHE INJURED YOU ASSHAT?!" He snapped.

"Oh uh... funny story-"

"No! Don't think you're gonna pull that shit Damine!"

I sighed. "Dude I have no clue what you're talking about."

"She said she was with you last night so why is she scratched up?!"

"..." How do I answer this. Can I even tell him about our mission?

"Uh...um... I'M GOING THROUGH A TUNNEL!!!" I randomly screamed.

"What?! R I swear to God! Don't you dare fucking hang up the-" *BEEP*

I let out a deep breath and chuckled. I continued pedaling until I got into the deep slums of New York. It was about a two and a half hour ride so I was pretty exhausted. I looked around for the right address until I found the house I was looking for. I parked my bike in the driveway. I noticed the old family car that was lazily parked on the curb. The red Honda was rusty and beat up. The small beat up house had two boarded up windows. I walked over to the door and looked at it. I hesitated for a moment.

"Shit…" I took a deep breath and knocked on the door. I waited for a few seconds until I heard the sound of the door unlocking. The door flung open and when I saw who it was, I was automatically stunned.

"...Hi." Said a little brown skinned boy with bright red eyes. His eyes were reminiscent of my sister's. The boy looked about five years old.

"Um...hello…" I said awkwardly. "A-are your parents home." It was getting harder to breath by the second. Gears began to turn in my head.

"My momma is here but my dad is out somewhere." He said to me.

"May I...come inside?" I asked.

"Are you a cop or a criminal?" He asked.

"No I'm... I'm just a friend of your mom." I said with a low voice. The kid looked so much like him…so goddamn much!

"Well I guess you're alright then." The kid stepped to the side and gestured me inside. I walked in and almost cried. I was struggling to keep my composure. I had to stay strong. I wanted to but the sight of the six kids made me just lose my mind. I walked deeper into the trashed up house. The sound of running water could be heard from the kitchen.

A little girl came up to me and flashed me a picture of what I assumed was a cat. "You like my picture, Mister?"

"Yep, that's pretty cool." I said with a forced smile.

"Daryll! How many times do I have to tell you to stop-" She paused her sentence and looked at me with shock and awe. I saw her red eyes slowly tear up as she cupped her mouth and sobbed.

"...Hey sis…" I said as I got up and hugged her tightly.

"R...You got so big!" She moved me away from her and looked at me. "Wow...look at you."

"It's... it's good to see you Lauren." I said to her. I noticed the tiredness in her eyes. I also took note of the bruises on her arms. That made my blood boil instantly. "How have you been?"

"I've been hanging in there." She said with a sad smile. I knew it was a broken one. She was forced into this life when she was sixteen and had to leave. "What about you and mom?"

"Well she's working her ass off and I have been...just doing me." I said.

"Wow... I'm sorry, it's just been so long since I've seen you, I'm just so overwhelmed." She wiped the tears from her eyes and gave me a sad smile. "I missed my kid brother so much."

"Momma, who's the mystery man?" Asked a little boy with a white tank top and a baseball cap.

"Come and gather around kids. I want you all to meet your...your…" she struggled to say the words and I understood why. I wasn't just their uncle but I was technically also their older brother. This was all so fucked up.

I crouched down in front of them and gave a slight grin. "I'm your cool uncle R. It's nice to meet you guys."

A little girl with braided hair looked at me and smiled. "Hi Uncle R!"

Lauren put a hand on her shoulder and smiled. "This is Lucy. She's my youngest daughter."

"Nice to meet you Lucy." I said picking her up.

"Hey! I wanna go up too!" Shouted a small boy. His name was Theo. I lifted him up over my shoulder. Some of the kids began to flock around me so I played around with some of them for a couple of minutes. While my sister did some house work.

After some time passed, I began to leave the kids to what they were doing. One kid that was sitting on the couch caught my attention though. He looked a lot like me but with more of a tanned skin tone. His messy hair fell into his face and his red eyes were fixated on the manga he was reading. I walked over and sat down next to him. "Hey kid. How's it going."

"I'm fine, so you can leave me alone." He said harshly.

"Woah their kid, I'm just trying to get to know you." I said to him.

"My name is Desmond, I'm nine years old, my favorite color is red, I am in the third grade and my favorite food is sushi. There. Good enough for you?" He said returning to the book.

"My name is Rodman, I'm sixteen years old, my favorite color is red, I'm a junior in high school and my favorite food is also sushi." I said grinning.

"Great chat, now leave me alone."

"What's your favorite type of sushi. I'm personally a fan of makizushi and California rolls."

"I uh...never actually had sushi... I want to try it like how they do in Japan." He said, blushing with embarrassment.

"You never had sushi?! Woah dude, next time we meet, I'll getcha some."

"Really?!" He asked while smiling.

"Yep. On me!" I told him.

"Arigato gozaimasu!" He said, clapping his hands together and bowing. I laughed at his antics.

"Mondai nai." I replied to him. He gave me a confused look, which made me laugh. "It's no problem." I explained to him.

"Oh, ok." He continued to read the book. I noticed that it was an old Dragon Ball Z manga.

"Ah yes. Good old DBZ. Frieza saga huh. Can't beat the classics."

He looked at me with wide eyes. "Have you read this issue?!"

"Kid I'm all the way in Super now. I got that issue when I was six. Put my name on the front cover." I said to him.

"Wait...your Rod the God?" He asked me with a funny look.

"How do you know that name?" He showed me the front cover and I instantly was taken back. Then a thought hit me. "Where did you get that book?"

"My mom gave it to me last Christmas."

"... LAUREN!!!" I shouted. She came running out of the kitchen.

"What?! What did Daryll do?!" She asked glaring at the small boy that was watching TV on the floor.

"Huh?" He asked, unaware of the situation.

"What? No! What's my old DBZ book doing here?" I asked sternly.

"Oh, that old thing?"

"Yes that old thing! It's the collector's edition! I can't get another one!"

"I brought it with me when I left. Sorry Rodman, I didn't know it meant that much to you. I wanted something to remind me of you." She said with a chuckle.

"You could've at least asked first. That book is worth hundreds of dollars, maybe more." I said with narrowed eyes.

"Sorry Uncle R. I can give it back if you want-"

"No, it's cool Desmond. I want you to keep it. Make sure you hold on to it and keep it safe." I told him.

He smiled widely and hugged my pant leg. "Thanks Uncle R!"

"Mondai nai." I told him. "I want you to enjoy it just as much as I did."

He nodded and hugged the book tightly. "I will!"

"Lunch is almost done, R. You want any?" She asked.

"Whatcha got?"

"Best PB and J around." I chuckled at her words. I really did miss her.

-NIGHT-

The little Rugrats we're all upstairs getting ready for bed. They all had school tomorrow morning. I was sitting down in the beat up living room with Lauren, sipping some tea. The small TV was showing some lame ass show, but I wasn't worried about that. I was worried about my struggling sister.

I sighed and decided to cut right to the chase. "Be real with me sis, are you gonna be ok? I know shit has been rough for you and I just wish I could be here more often to help."

"Don't you worry none about me R. I can take care of myself."

"What about fath-" I stopped myself. He wasn't my dad anymore. I could never forgive him for taking her dreams away just to satisfy his sickening, sexual needs. Fucking bastard. "What about Rodrick? How's he treating you, because so help me, I will-"

"It's fine R...and even if it's not... I have to be strong for the kids regardless of how I feel." She said quietly.

"That's not fair to you! He shouldn't be dictating your life. You had so much that you wanted from life but now... you're just a stay at home mom to that prick." I said to her.

"R...you and I both know I can't change what's happened. I may hate Rodrick, but I do love those kids...and they, despite not knowing what he really is, love him."

I angrily lifted myself off of the couch and began to pace back and forth. "It's not right! You deserve so much more Lauren! Those kids shouldn't have to live in this chicken shit neighborhood with the world's worst father!" I said louder than anticipated.

"R, please calm down, you'll wake the kids." She said.

Taking everything in just made things worse and worse. It was all beginning to get to my head. I was losing it. I didn't know what to do. Seeing my sister like this. Heartbroken, and lacking any life behind her eyes. It made me pissed. She wanted to be a scholar, a successful person with a clean and honest life. Not this mess that was forced upon her! Without anything left to do, I broke down crying. I haven't cried like this since she left. No matter how many times she told me to stop crying, I couldn't. I really did want to be stronger for her, but right now I was struck with weakness and vulnerability. The sense of hopelessness derived from my fears of losing her again. All I wanted was to have my sister back, and to give her the life she deserves and the life she needed for not just her, but her kids as well. And I mean HER kids. No matter who the father is, they're still hers! Fuck my dad! Fuck his entire existence! I thought I'd be ready for this. I thought I'd be stronger, but didn't expect her to have his kids...FUCK! THIS SHIT WASN'T FAIR!

"R, please. I think it would be best if you headed home." She said through her own set of tears.

"AND LEAVE YOU AGAIN?! WITH THAT FUCKING CHILD MOLESTING SON OF A BITCH?! FUCK THAT!" I shouted.

"R, he's going to be home any minute now. You have to leave."

"LET HIS DUMBASS SEE ME. I'LL FUCK HIM UP. I STAB HIS ASS FOR EVER HURTING YOU AND MOM!" I said valiantly.

"NO! STOP BEING STUBBORN R! YOU HAVE TO LEAVE NOW-"

~CLING~

The sound of keys could be heard from out front. I was ready to face that man. I was ready to give him what he had coming for years. I wanted this. Before I could tell what was happening, Lauren shoved me into a closet and locked the double doors. The doors had slits in them so I could see the living room from inside. Before I could shout, I heard the man's voice. A voice that I hated more than anything.

"Where's my dinner, girl!"

"It's in the microwave…"

He grunted with acknowledgement and stormed into the kitchen. Lauren looked towards the closet with pleading eyes. I resisted the urge to bust out when I saw them.

"What the fuck!" Yelled Rodrick. He charged into the living room with full on anger. "Who ate my FUCKING PIECE OF CHICKEN!" He shouted in her face. I winced with guilt. I probably ate it. She gave me the biggest piece because I was hungry. "WHO ATE IT?! Was it Daryll again? I ought to knock that boy's brains out. Where's ma switch?!"

"Daryll didn't eat you piece." Lauren said to him.

"Then who the fuck did, bitch?!" He said grabbing her forearm and pulling her towards him.

~SMACK!~

"I asked you a question!" He snarled.

"I did! I fucking ate your piece, Rodrick!" Lauren shouted.

"What's gotten into you?! Where the fuck do you get off talking to me like that?!"

"Maybe it's because you're just an asshole."

~SMACK!~

He slapped her and shoved her to the couch. "You dirty fucking bitch! I'm gonna fuck that attitude right back outta ya!"

"Go to hell!" She spit in his face.

He growled and started the process of stripping his own daughter. That was where I drew the fucking line. I'm not about to sit here and do nothing again! I reached into my pocket and grabbed my Arsenal. I hit the center button, and without wasting any time, I smashed the closet doors off of their hinges.

"Who the hell are you?" Rodrick asked.

I answered with the well-placed punch to the nose. He flew back into the wall and held his leaking face. "You want to know who I am? Take a good look!" I repeatedly started to rain down blows to his dome.

"R! Don't!" Lauren cried out. Her words fell on deaf ears. I was too filled with rage to even care about stopping my actions. Each punch left an even more bloodier mess on the floor.

"I'M GONNA KILL YOUR ASS!!! YOU'RE A FUCKING DEAD MAN!!!" I shouted while still punching him repeatedly. His face begin to deform into something horrific. I didn't care though I kept going and going. "This is for me. This is for mom! THIS IS FOR MY SISTER!!!"

I kept swinging until Lauren grabbed my cocked back arm. I looked at her emotionless, wet, red eyes. "It's not worth it. Just leave… leave for me please."

"But I-"

"R, it'll be ok…" She hugged me tightly and walked me out. Every step added another tear to my face. Every step pulled me farther away from my sister. Every step made me hate that man more and more. Every step motivated me to free her from this prison. When I heard the door closed behind me, I immediately regretted not going back inside of their and finishing the job.


	57. First Class Second Encounter

**Chapter** **57**

(MIDNIGHT'S POV)

Here I was, back in school as if nothing happened last night. So many thoughts, so many unanswered questions. Shit didn't feel the same without Chase...it just didn't. The fucked up part was that no one else seemed to care that him and Karren were gone. This was some bullshit!

I was on my way to lunch, still deep in thought. I couldn't shake the thousands of thoughts going through my head. I had so many questions but I wasn't sure that I would be getting any answers. I paid no mind to any of my fellow students as I traversed through the halls and into the cafeteria. I silently walked in the taco line and grabbed my usual. I plopped down at my now empty lunch table. I took two small bites out of my food before my sadness really hit me. I dropped my head on the table and broke down, silently crying. The quietness mixed with the empty seats just made me realize how lonely I really was at this shit school. I really only had two friends here. R was cool and everything but he had his own things to deal with. He didn't even bother coming to school today. I wish I would've spent more time with them...Chase is doing God knows what! He may be alive but can I still call him my friend? He's unstable and worst of all, Karren is legitimately dead! It hurt when I first found out but now...Now that I have to suffer alone...without Chase, who's the only other person that understood the severity of her murder... I don't know if I can keep myself sane. I need someone... I really do!

"Milton!" Shouted a female voice... Female…

I looked up at the girl. I recognized her and gave a half assed wave. " Hey Monica…"

"I was just wondering if you were-"

"No. Not now...not ever." I dismissed her.

"But Milton-"

"Fuck off…"

"You said that you were available to just about any girl that wanted you! Well Foyer, I'm standing right here for a reason!" She snapped.

I flipped her off."So but, I got a girl." I told her. I'm not sure where that came from. Was Nina even my girl? After that awkward meeting with my parents, I'm not sure what the hell she thinks of me…

"So what! When has that ever stopped you?!" She asked angrily.

"It hasn't until a few weeks ago." I said back to her while getting up from my seat.

"Where are you going, Milton?"

"...To the magical fucking land of stay the hell away from me."

I walked over towards the school rooftop. This is the same place that I met Chase and Karren. A school rooftop was where Karren, Chase and I would all meet up. It's also where we all became friends.

-Fashback-

Eight years ago. It was lunch time and I was not trying to deal with the multiple girls swarming me again. As cool as it was to have like thirteen girlfriends, it was also kinda annoying. I was dying for some peace and quiet. Right before lunch, I decided to sneak my way up to the school rooftop and hide up there until the end of recess. I saw the janitor do it so I decided to try my luck. As I got up to the roof, I was caught off guard by another kid's voice.

"What the hell are you doing up here?" He asked with alarm. "You're not gonna snitch are you?"

"What? Of course not. I came up here to get away from me girlfriends."

He narrowed his blue eyes. "Wait a minute... You're that Milton kid!"

"The one and only." I took a seat on top of a rooftop vent. "I told you why I'm up here so you tell me your reason."

"Don't worry about it, ya.freaking nosey ass prick! Maybe I just wanted to be alone. Guess that plan is outta the goddamn window because here you are bothering me with you bullshit questions!" He said with sudden anger.

"Wow...you say a lot of bad words... I can respect that…"

"Respect deez nuts, bitch!"

"Dude, chill the heck out. Why are you so mad?"

"Like I said before, I wanna be alone." He hissed.

"Look dude, I can't go back down there. Those girls are relentless! One of them plucked out a freaking hair!"

"Don't care. Leave!" He demanded.

"I really don't feel like dealing with that so I'll tell you what, how about I give you a dollar in order to stay up here."

"No, fuck off!"

"Five dollars!" I said pulling out a five dollar bill.

"N to the fucking O, douchebag."

"Hmm...fine, you sure do drive a hard bargain. Tell you what, I'll give you twenty bucks! Just so that I can stay with you. On top of that, I'll let you be on my friends list!"

The kid got up and stomped over to me. He snatched the twenty dollar bill from my hand and pushed me to the rooftop floor. "I don't care if you were offering me a hundred dollars…"

"What about a thousand?" I asked.

He ripped up the twenty, threw the pieces at me and glared. "Take your cash and get the fuck outta here!"

"Listen dude, you don't have to be so mean about it. You wanna be alone so bad, then fine, but don't you dare put your hands on me or my gosh darn money, you freaking broke pussy!" I shouted at him.

He grabbed me by the collar and glared. "Don't call me a fucking pussy, you mother-"

"Uh...what are you guys doing up here?" Said a girl that was our age.

"Should I just leave?" She asked.

"No…" I said sheepishly.

"Yes!" The blonde haired kid growled. He dropped me and intensified his glare. "You both should just leave."

"Well to be fair, I've been up since last year." The girl said.

"I just wanna hide!" I shouted at the blonde.

The kid rubbed his temples and sighed. "You both wanna be up here so bad?! Fine! Stay up here! Just leave me the fuck alone!"

"See! Was that so hard?" He growled at me and went back to his spot on the roof.

The Asian girl brought out her lunch box and smiled at the contents inside. "Thank you mom!"

"Oh snap! You got Chinese food?! I love Chinese!" I shouted.

The girl glared at me. "I'm not Chinese and this is Japanese food you moron!"

"...Oh…can I get some of that?" I asked awkwardly.

"You're lucky my mom packs more than enough food." She said while handing me a small container.

"What the heck is this?" I asked.

"That's sukiyaki. It's pretty good." She said with her mouth full.

I took a bite and it actually was pretty good. "Not bad…"

As we continued to eat the Japanese picnic, we heard a strange, rumbling noise. We looked back and saw the blonde kid holding his stomach.

"Uh...you alright dude?" I asked.

"Fine…" He muttered. His stomach growled again.

"You can have some if you want." The girl said.

"No." He growled.

I sighed and walked over to him with a dumpling in my hand. He glared up at me. "Look dude, hate us all you want but, if you hungry then suck up your pride and eat." He took the dumpling and ate it quickly. He looked away from me and went back to his brooding.

I sighed and walked back over to the girl. She gave me a confused look and I just shrugged.

"...Thanks…" He said quietly.

"No problem." The girl shouted to him.

As time went on, we all continued to meet up at the rooftop. Soon enough, the blonde kid slowly started to warm up to the girl and I. After about a month, we were all good friends, even if one of us didn't like showing it all of the time.

-Flashback End-

I won't ever forget that day. We were all so happy. We were all so close. Now...one of us is gone and the other isn't himself. This was all wrong. I took a seat on one of the rooftop vents. I whipped out my iPhone X and started texting Nina. I needed her now more than ever. I couldn't think of anyone else to talk to right now.

Hey. I wrote to her.

I waited a good three minutes until she replied back.

Hey. She sa back.

Can we meet up sometime. I wanna see you.

Sure. Where at?

Idc I just need someone right now. I didn't even care about ditching school right now. I just wanted to leave.

I can't right now. I'm in school. We can meet up at the park later though. She responded.

"Shit…" I muttered. If only she went to my school.

Yeah that's fine. I'll see you soon. I looked at me phone. I saw two contacts that I hadn't seen in awhile.

"...Siri call Brochacho…" I said to my phone.

The phone was ringing which meant it was on. It kept ringing until the audio recording started.

"This is Chase. If you're hearing this then my phone is dead or I just don't give enough of a fuck to pick up your call. PISS OFF!" The recording cut off and I hung my head low.

"Damn you Chase…"

-Next Day-

(R'S POV)

"For the last time, to didn't do anything!" I said to my girlfriend's raging older brother.

"You listen to me Damine, and listen good! Next time I see my baby sister come home looking like this after she was with you, I'm gonna chop your nuts off and put em in the PlayStation so that I can say your dumbass just got played." Shadow snarled at me.

"Yes sir…"

"You think I'm playing?!"

"No!" I shouted with my guard up.

"Good...now what the hell do you want? You're interrupting my time with Beth."

"I'm taking my lovely lady out!" I said eagerly.

"Where the hell are you going with her?"

"An anime convention…" I said casually.

"Nerd…"

I flipped him off and rolled my eyes. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, dude…Where's my girlfriend?!"

"She's the currently in her room cleaning up."

"...How long is that gonna take?"

"I dunno... come back in… Six years when she's ready for a real relationship." He slammed the door in my face. I tapped my foot on their porch and began whistling. I heard yells coming from the other side of the door.

"Three...two...one…" The door flung open with an agitated Raven standing there. She looked good with her hoodie on and sweat pants. Not sure why but casual clothes really did suit her well.

"Sorry about that R. You wanna come in?" She asked.

"Don't let that pumpkin colored bastard in my house Raven!" Shadow shouted.

*Fuck off Shaun!" Raven shouted.

"Don't make me come over there and be a parent!"

"Excuse me for a second…" She shut the door and I heard the sound of moving furniture and breaking glass. She opened the door and smiled at me. "Ok, let's go."

"You willing to take the R Express?" I asked.

"Not sure what that is but I'm willing to give it a try."

I brought out my Arsenal and suited up. She climbed in my back and launched off of the ground. I smashed into the ground and hopped back to the skies. I bunny hopped all the way to the Civic Center.

"Well...we did it!" I said with a grin.

"Cool. You got the tickets?"

"Damn straight!" I said whipping them out of my pocket.

-Two Hours Later-

"That was even better than last year!" I said swinging my wooden sword. I picked up a replica of Ichigo's bankai zanpakuto. I also got my new volume of Black Clover signed. Raven was rocking her Code Geass shirt over her hoodie.

"You're just happy you got your book signed."

"Hell yeah. I can't believe I met the creator! Just you wait. This show is gonna be mainstream once funimation gets to it."

"Will it?"

"Hell yeah it will!" I said with a wide smile.

We started walking through the park looking for our favorite ice cream guy. I saw him handing out two cones to some familiar faces.

"Midnight!" I called out to him.

He looked back and gave me a small smile. "Sup you two. What brings you guys here?"

"We always come here. This is where we met each other." I said. Raven nodded with me.

"Interesting."

I noticed that he was with Nina and I gave them a sly smirk. "So I guess you two tied the love knot."

"Heheheh...You could say that…" Nina said as Midnight clasped her hand.

"We're gonna take you guys. Stay outta trouble." Midnight said with a wink.

"I should be telling you that."

We waved at them as they walked off. "You think Midnight is going to be ok?"

"I don't know. Karren's death hit him hard. Chase going off didn't help with his pain either…"

"You know...Chase actually had my back at the White House. The Jackal guy had me on the ropes until Chase came and pretty much bitched his ass." Rave said.

"Yeah... He's a good guy...just deal with some messed up stuff I guess."

(CHASE'S POV)

"WAIT! DON'T SHOOT-"

~ ** _BANG_** ~

"Anyone else wanna try and talk tough? I'd say we've got about ten more minutes before the next train stop. That's more than enough time to drop all you bastards." I said to the group of thugs.

"Listen man...We told you what we know!" The leader said with a panicked expression.

I pointed my Bull Magnum at him and smirked. "My bullshit detector is going off dude."

"We don't know shit-"

~ ** _BANG_** ~

"OH FUCK!" The man dropped to his one good knee and held himself.

"Where the fuck is Zeyco?! I know he's been running around. I know he's been messing around with J.I.N. Corp. I KNOW YOU'RE FUCKING COVERING HIS GODDAMN TRACKS!!!"

~ ** _BANG BANG BANG_** ~

I filled the said bastard with three more bullets. His gang was looking on in horror as their leader slumped dead on the floor. I aim my gun at the next prick. "Your turn, dickhead…"

~ ** _CLICK_** ~

I loaded the next bullet. "Zeyco said if we talk... he'll kill us…"

I chuckled lightly at that and shot his left shoulder. "I can promise you that if you don't quit stalling, I'm gonna light your ass up."

"...ZEYCO HEADED OUTTA TOWN! Word on the street is that he's trying to get stronger so that he can bring down the AOF single handedly. He said if we talked, he'd…he'd…"

"He'd what?" I asked.

"He'd fucking slaughter them." A malicious voice said from behind me. It was none other than my target Zeyco. I looked back and tried to fire of a quick shot. Zeyco grabbed my gun and crushed it in his hands. "Long time no see, huh Chase?"

"Must be my lucky fucking day." I hissed at him. He kicked me so hard that I landed in the next train car. I could hear the screams of the men I was interrogating. He then walked into the train car that I was in with electricity crackling around him. He had a devilish smirk and half of his face was just terrifying. The sclera of his left eye was black and the iris was a haunting, bright blue color. Blue pulsating veins were spread out across his left side. All in all, the dude looked like a fucking monster.

"What the fuck did you do to yourself?" I asked him.

"To be fair, I didn't do this to myself, but I am gonna embrace the power coursing through me!" He lowered his hand to the floor and chains of electricity surged around the train. I was electrocuted along with the other passengers inside of the train car. Unfortunately for them, they had no protection so most of them were fried to a crisp.

"What the fuck?! There were innocent people inside of the train car!"

"Casualties must be made." He said smugly.

"Fuck you!" I ran up and punch in square in his jaw. He flew back and smashed into one of the railings.

"I'm surprised. That kinda hurt a little bit." He ripped the metal railing off and ran at me. I ripped one of myself and blocked his swings.

~ ** _KLANG_** ~

The sound of metal smashing again each other had echoed throughout the train. Zeyco swing heavily, swatting away my metallic, blunt weapon.

"Batter up!" He smashed the pole against me skull, sending me crashing down to the floor. I had a splitting headache and my vision was blurry as hell. He picked me up and tossed me into the next train car. The passengers must heard all of the commotion because they were all panicking. Zeyco busted through the train car door and stalked over to me. He gripped my throat and lifted me up. "What's the matter Mr. Hawthorne? I thought that you were going to put up more of a fight. You were looking for me right? Well here I am!"

~ ** _WHAM_** ~

I slammed hard into one of the seats. Zeyco gripped me up by my face and smirked at the terrified group of people staring at the bastard. "Welcome aboard the first class cabin, of the Asswhoopin Express!"

~ ** _WHACK_** ~

He slammed my head into the train floor and stomped his foot on top of it. He grinned evilly at me. "C'MON MOTHER FUCKER? GET YOUR ASS UP! OH WAIT, YOU CAN'T!!!" He began laughing at me. While he was distracted I materialized a katana and attempted to slice of his leg. He jumped back and chuckled. "Nice try, dickhead...Now you fucked up." He ran up and punt kicked me in the face. I held my fucked up nose and glared.

"Fuck this!" I shot out all of the lights as we entered the tunnel. Screams were heard all throughout the train car as used the night vision mode on my goggles to tackle Zeyco into the wall of the train. I socked him a couple of times in his face and kneed him in the gut. He elbowed me across the jaw and force palmed me away from him. I was sent skidding towards the opposite side of the train.

"Was that your big plan? Fucking pathetic. What was that even supposed to-"

"KYAH!!!" I let out a loud shout as I drop kicked the douchebag into the conductor's room.

His head viciously slammed down on the control panel. He picked himself up and looked at me with narrowed eyes. You're gonna fucking die! You along with the rest of this dumbass train!" Zeyco grabbed the train conductor and flung him out through the window to his death. Electricity dance wildly around his right hand as he slammed it through the control panel. I fell back as the train began to rapidly pick up speed. The passengers screamed even louder. Zeyco looked back at me with another one of his bastard ass smirks. "Looks like this train is gonna smash right into Grand Central Station in about five minutes. You can either try and stop train yourself like a noble hero, or you can let all of these people die a messy death along with anyone waiting for this particular train and follow after me. Your choice, dickhead." He jumped out the window and took off. I was about to say screw these people and chase after him, but when I saw the kids crying and the mother's sobbing, I decided that I had to stay and try.

"Everyone listen up! I'm not sure about what's going to happen, but I'm gonna stay and attempt to help you all! I need you guys to all bundled up together. All the kids in the center, men on the outside. You all gotta brace for impact because if I can't stop this, we are all crashing into the end of Grand Central Station." I said to them. I hopped through the front window and landed a few feet away from the train. I sighed and began, running at the train, full speed. As it neared, I began to cock my mechanical fist back. "HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" I let out a loud shout as I slammed my robotic fist deep into train. I managed to slow it down but it still pushed me back with extreme force and speed. I placed my actual hand on the train along with my other more powerful one. I tried my hardest to push the train back but it was still moving too fast. I dug my feet into the tracks and grit my teeth with determination. I could see Grand Central Station coming closer into view. "...FUCK! ARSL-Series 3032: Maximum charge!" I shouted with desperation. My mechanical arm began to glow brightly as my robotic fist dug deeper into the train. I could feel the train tracks shattering beneath me as I slowed the train down until it eventually came to a safe stop. I huffed out exhaustedly and flopped down onto the remaining tracks. "Jesus...Christ…" The sounds of cheering overwhelmed my ears and I eventually passed out.

(MIDNIGHT'S POV)

I was at Nina's place with Blake, May and Masha. I was sitting on one of her beanbags, Blake and May were on her bed and Masha was sitting on the other beanbag. Nina had went downstairs to go get snacks. We were all in her room just hanging out. I really didn't want them here but I guess I need friends anyway. Plus, I hadn't talked to Blake in a while and Nina wanted to see her old buddies. I was in a sour mood due to the fact that I wanted to be alone with Nina but it was whatever. I noticed that Masha had a saddened look on her face and I assumed that it was because of Chase's random disappearance. I was glad that SOMEONE had given a damn about the guy.

May was in Blake's lap as they were talking on about the winter formal... I guess that was some kind of dance or something. May seemed eager to talk about it and Blake seemed to just be going along with the conversation.

Nina had finally came back upstairs with a bowl of chips and a case of soda. She put the snacks down and walked over to me. "You alright Milton? You seem kinda distant."

"Huh? Oh yeah! I'm good. Don't you worry about me." I tried to be respectful, but those goddamn booty shorts were driving me nuts!

"You sure? We can reschedule if-"

"No way! I asked to see you, remember? I'm glad to be here."

She sat in my lap and smiled. "Alright then, if you say so. Just... don't be afraid to tell me anything." She whispered in my ear before placing a kiss on my cheek. I grinned and held her in place.

"I won't. I promise." I said to her.

"BREAKING NEW!" Said a reporter on the TV. We all looked up to see the news reporter speaking urgently into the camera.

"What the hell?!" Blake said confused.

"I'm here at Grand Central Station at the scene of what is soon to be known as the Locomotive Liberation! According to the many passengers that survived the traumatic train ride, a young hero was able to stop the train from crashing into Grand Central Station. Folks say that a crazed madman with electrical powers had accelerated the train to blinding speeds. The hero that stopped the train crash who was found passed out on the tracks. The local police have identified the young hero as Chase Hawthorne. He's being relocated to a nearby hospital in order to treat his injuries." Said the news reporter.

The whole room went silent. Chase was still in New York! He actually saved those people! He was still a hero. He was still my friend! "I can't believe it…" I muttered.

"He's still alive! We gotta go see him!" Masha said gleefully.

"Woah slowdown. We don't even know what hospital he's at." Blake said.

"It's got to be the one closest to Grand Central Station." Nina chimed in.

"Then what are we waiting for? Midnight can drive us all down there." May said.

"Alright then! Let's get a move on!" I said as we all headed to my red Ferrari laFerrari.

"This car is freaking beautiful!" Blake said.

"I know. It even has a V8 engine." I said.

"Would you two hurry up! We gotta get to my brave heroic Chase." Masha said dreamily.

"Don't worry bro…" I started up the car and put it in drive. "We're coming!" I jad to get my best friend back!


	58. I Can Fix That

**Chapter 58**

(MIDNIGHT'S POV)

The drive to the hospital was long and quite irritating. Traffic tonight was ridiculous. I almost broke my horn, beeping at people. On top of that, the damn hospital parking lot was FULL! This shit was getting irritating.

"What the FUCK!" I snapped at the lack of spaces.

"There's a spot right there!" Blake yelled.

"It's a fucking handicap space…" I growled.

"Fuck it! We're gonna be quick. Go in, grab Chase, and leave." Masha said hastily.

"Fine! I swear to God if I get a fucking ticket!" I swerved into the open space. We all quickly got out of the car and ran to the elevator. After a few minutes of running around, we got to the front desk. Masha went up to the lady at the desk and slammed her hand on the desk. "CHASE HAWTHORNE! WHERE IS HIS ROOM?!" She shouted.

Blake ran up behind the crazed chick and kept her from jumping over the desk and snatching to medical records. "Heheheh, we're his good friends." Blake said.

"He's resting in room 302." The lady said nervously.

"Thanks." I said to her.

The elevators in the lobby were packed so we decided to take the stairs. After our long and exhausting climb to the third floor, we had finally ended up at room 302. Issue was with the mob of reporters surrounding the door.

"We don't have time for this!" Masha said as she glared at the people. Within seconds, the crowd had been blasted away with a gust a icy wind.

"Damn…" I muttered.

We all ran up to the door and opened it with little hesitation. Chase was just laying there on the hospital bed, unconscious. He had bandages wrapped around his torso and his real arm.

Masha wasted no time in running up to him. "Jesus Christ!" She said out loud.

"Well...what should we do? Can we just take him out the hospital?" May asked.

"Probably not, but who really cares?" I said.

Masha climbed on top of Chase and started shaking him awake. Not sure if that was the best thing to do but I didn't have any other bright ideas so..

(CHASE'S POV)

I snapped my eyes open and looked at my surroundings. The first thing I saw was a blue haired girl shaking the shit outta me. The second thing I saw was Midnight and Blake looking at me with concerned eyes. I noticed the two unfamiliar girls in the back as well.

"You're awake!" The girl buried herself into my chest. I gave her an extremely confused look. She was pretty as hell but still...it was still weird. "I missed you so much! I didn't know where you went."

"...Who the hell are you?!" I asked her.

"I-it's me, Masha...You helped me out a little while ago. Your sweet words and handsome face drove me wild!"

"...What?" I was so goddamn lost right now.

"Oh God! He has amnesia!" She girl said with shock.

"No I don't. I know Midnight and Blake...I don't know shit about you or the other girls." I told her.

"We'll explain it all in the car but for now, let's get you outta here." Milton said. "We got a lot to talk about.

"Yeah...that sounds somewhat reasonable…"

Mil and Blake had carried me to a nice ass red car. They put me in the back with the three girls, one of which was touching me a little more than I was comfortable with but it was whatever. As was pulled of Milton and I began talking about what was going on.

"Ok dude, I got a couple of questions… Who the hell were those guys you were with? I recognized the bastard that killed Karren but still, I'm kinda sick of being left in the dark."

I tried to remember back to when I first woke up after my mission in Georgia. "They are a rival assassin organization. They have the same technology as the AOF but they took things much further as you could probably tell from that Jackal guy. The poor bastard is a fucking freak now...that would've been me as well if it weren't for my brother stepping in."

"Your brother? I thought that he died."

"He is far from dead…The son of a bitch...I won't forget what he did!" I said with silent rage.

"What the hell did he do?" Milton asked.

"He's the mother fucker that killed Karren."

"...Oh...shit…"

(??? POV)

"Hawthorne is on route to your location. Approximately five seconds."

"Good…" I said to my associate. I geared up with my SDV- Dragunov. I loaded the explosive rounds and took aim. "Sorry Hawthorne…"

~ ** _BANG_** ~

The bullet flew straight at the back tire, sending the car spiraling out of control.

(MIDNIGHT'S POV)

"WHAT THE FUCK?!" I shouted while trying to regain control of my vehicle. The car swung around wildly throughout the busy New York street.

"Holy shit!" Chase shouted from the back seat.

I slammed my foot on the brake and drifted the car to a stop. I looked back to everyone. "You guys alright?" I asked while looking back at the others. They all seem rattled and shaken up at the sudden explosion.

"What the hell was that?!" Blake asked with confusion.

"Don't know...What I do know is that somebody is paying for my fucking car!" I growled, slamming my fist into the steering wheel.

I got out the car and angrily slammed the door. The others followed and we all scanned the area for any reason or cause of the explosion. I noticed Blake look up and glare. "Uh...Who the hell is that?" he asked.

We all followed his gaze and what do we find...Another one of those guys that attacked the White House. In his hand was a large sniper rifle. He had a mask covering his face and a black hooded trench coat.

"You did this shit? Just you wait motherfucker!" I snarled.

The bastard laughed and hopped from off of the roof top. He crashed onto the street and walked over to us. "Well Hawthorne...it's time to head back to base."

"Fuck no! I'm not going any fucking where with you. FUCK your little bitch ass gang!" Chase shouted.

"Hawthorne...you don't have a choice. You're coming with me back to HQ and that's final!"

Masha exhaled deeply and stepped forward, directly in front of Chase. "You're not taking him anywhere!" she shouted at the dark figure. She slammed her hand to the ground and created large shards of ice that surrounded the bastard.

The son of a bitch chuckled. "Nice little attack…" The stranger shattered the ice with a quick flex. He ran at Masha and punched her back into a lamp post.

"MOTHERFUCKER!" Blake yelled as he geared up. His black and green battle suit gave him an intimidating presence. Black shades covered his eyes. He materialized a green dagger that had a black cross engraved on the blade. "Die!" Black vanished from sight and reappeared behind his opponent. Blake went in for a deep back stab, only to be flipped over and slammed into the ground with a nasty axe kick. Blake gasped out and promptly got knocked out.

"Aww c'mon man. You really think that I would be that slow?" He said placing his foot on Blake's chest.

"Who the hell are you?" Chase asked.

"I'm a friend of your brother, Devon. The name's Crowno." He said while pulling out a Colt 45. pistol. "And I don't miss." He shot a bullet at Chase, which whizzed past him.

"Dude you just missed…" Chase said.

"I wasn't aiming for you…" Chase and I looked back and saw Nina holding her left arm.

I glared and went Arsenal. "Big mistake, jackass!" I shouted while charging at him with blinding rage. My tomahawks materialized in my hands and I chucked one at him. He caught the blade effortlessly and tossed it to the floor. As he was distracted, I jumped up and smashed my other tomahawk into his shoulder.

"Is that it? This ain't enough to-"

~ ** _WHOOSH_** ~

I sweeped his legs and ripped the tomahawk out of his shoulder. He dropped to the floor and laughed.

"Shut the fuck up!" I snapped at him. I began to repeatedly slam the tomahawk into his chest. Blood splattered all over my face as I kept chopping at his midsection. "You wanna shoot MY fucking girl, right?"

Crowno kept laughing as his chest was continuously being torn open. "That's right! Make me bleed!"

"Shut up!" I drove the roma into his skull and started stomping him out. "Cunt! Cunt! Cunt!'

The prick finally went silent and I huffed out of breath I didn't know I was holding. I dropped my blood covered axe and walked over to my wounded girl. She was holding onto her bullet wound. I held her close and looked at her softly.

"Milton... What's going on? Who the hell was that? What's up with the weapons and shit?!"

"Don't worry about that right now. I need to get you patched up." I picked her up bridal style and looked back at Chase. I need to get her taken care of."

Chase nodded and signalled me to go. I nodded at him and started running off as fast as I could. Boy would R be helpful right now

(CHASE'S POV)

This whole situation was just fucked. I looked back at Blake's girl May and walked over to her. "You think that you can go grab Blake? I'm gonna go and get Masha."

She nodded and went to the knocked out fighter. I went to go pick up the knocked out blue haired girl who was admittedly, kinda pretty. Before I could grab her, I felt a hand slap down on my shoulder. I turned around to see Crowno with his fist cocked back fist. He slammed his fist into my face and it dropped my to the floor. My vision was blurry as hell and had me feeling groggy.

"What's going on Hawthorne? I didn't hit you too hard did I?" He asked. What a bastard.

I forcefully got back to my feet and glared at the son of a bitch with unbridled rage. "You just fucked up dude!" I went Arsenal and brought out a Bull Magnum. I blasted at him with two shots. He whipped out his Colt 45. and shot at both of my bullets.

"Like I said... I don't miss." He said with a toothy grin.

"Hmph…We'll see about that!" I shot two bullets and ran at him. He tapped the trigger off his gun, launched two bullets out, deflecting my bullets. While he wasted time doing that, I punched the shit outta him, sending him flying into the oncoming traffic. The bastard got hit by a series of multiple cars. "How you like that shit, bitch?"

"Doesn't faze me not one bit." He said avoiding a speeding car. He jumped up into the air, over all of the traffic and landed harshly onto the sidewalk, cracking the ground below him.

"Fuck you, dude!" I tossed my gun away and brought out my black katana. I ran at him and went for an overhead slash at my opponent. He twirled to the side and kicked me in my still injured ribs.

"Still not a hundred percent yet? What a pity." He pressed his boot in my face and toppled me over. I plopped down onto the cement sidewalk with a hard thud while holding my ribs. The pain consumed me instantly. Showing little to no mercy, the bastard kicked me while I was down. Specifically in the ribs that he had injured once again.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!" I let out a loud scream of pain and agony as I scrunched up and continued to hold myself.

"That's right! Scream! Scream while nobody can hear you!" May had already left with Blake, which left me and the blue haired girl. Masha, was it? Too bad. I could really use that ice stuff she did. "HQ wanted you alive...Not healthy!" He kicked me once causing me to let out another scream.

"SHIT! YOU FUCKING CUNT!!!" I shouted with a pain filled voice. I was slipping in and out of consciousness. My breathing was all out of whack.

"Don't pass out on me yet Hawthorne! I'm not fini-"

Before the asshole could even have a chance to finish his dumbass monologue, he was impaled by eight sharp icicles. The icicles pierced straight through his chest. I slowly looked up to see Marsha standing there with icy claws.

"Hitting me is one thing, but don't you dare think that I'm gonna let you hurt my Chase!" She fired off a storm of smaller sharp icicles that went through him like bullets. The bastard dropped to his knees and grunted with pain.

"YOU GODDAMN BITCH! I'M GONNA...Wh... What's happened to me?!" Crowno asked and frost was beginning to form around the many holes in his body.

"Go to hell you sack of shit!" Masha said while flipping him off. If I wasn't in so much pain right now, I'd applaud for her boldness.

"No, No, NOOOOO!!!" Crowno was silenced by the ice that had engulfed his entire body. Masha went up to him and kicked the ice sculpture over, shattering it to pieces.

"Chase! Are you ok?!" She said looking at me with worry filled eyes. To bad, for the millionth time, I blacked out.

(MIDNIGHT'S POV)

I had literally ran across town just to get Nina into my house. In retrospect, I probably could have just taken her back to the hospital. Look I don't think clearly when I'm panicking!

I quickly ran her into the bathroom and swiftly brought out the medical kit. She was still holding her opened wound. I felt bad. She was never supposed to get involved in my Arsenal shit let alone HURT! I was angry at myself for letting this happen to her so I swore to myself that I was gonna make things better.

I got out the medical forceps and looked at her sadly. Her hand was covering her wound. "Listen baby, I gotta get that bullet out of you. I need you to lower your hand."

"Ok...ok I will...Just hurry." She said.

I nodded and readied myself. The moment she dropped her hand, I dug the forceps into the hole in her arm. She bit her lip and let out muffled screams. Her eyes were clenched and were shut tightly. After a few long seconds of struggling, I had finally been able to unlodge the dented bullet.

I looked at her with a small smile. "Step one is done…"

"What's step three?" She asked.

"...The peroxide…" I said to her with sympathetic eyes.

"Shit…" She muttered.

"Just close your eyes and breathe. It'll be over in a few seconds. I promise!" I said with a heavy look.

"Ok, ok! Just do it already!" She shouted while tensing up her arm.

"Ok…On three…" I said.

"Ok...On three." She repeated.

"One...THREE!" I doused her arm with peroxide and she snapped it back as she screamed in pain. After her loud fits of screaming, she glared at me.

"You're an asshole!" She shouted at me.

"Sorry, but I had to get it over with. The Next part is the hard part." I said with a shrug.

"Don't say what I think you're gonna say…" She said with pleading eyes.

"Why gotta do the stitches now." I said.

She glared at me. "I told you not to say that!"

"Look, I'll take it nice and easy. Just talk to me and look at me while I do this."

"Fine…" She muttered.

I nodded and painstakingly threaded the needle, which took like a good five minutes. I stabbed the needle into her skin, starting the process. She squealed a bit but held in her pain.

"So...you got anything you wanna ask...I have a feeling that you got a few questions." I said while I soed the hole.

"Who was that man that attacked us." She asked, understandably.

"To be honest, I don't know myself. He was after Chase though so I can assume that he was apart of the rival assassins.

"Oh...Well then can you tell me about that box that you and Blake have?" She asked. I noticed her wince at the the needle stabbing into her skin again.

I sighed and lo at her. "I don't know how much I'm supposed to say... But I will tell you that I can wield multiple weapons and I'm a much better fighter." I explained.

"Right...So how long have you had it?" She asked.

"I dunno, about two months or so." I muttered as I finished up the stitches. I looked at her with a grin. "Done. Now we just have to wrap it up." I grabbed the bandages and wrapped her arm.

"Thank you Milton…" She said.

"Well, you shouldn't have gotten hurt in the first place." I said back.


	59. Blood on the Ice

Chapter 59

(CHASE'S POV)

It's so cold... I'm surrounded by the white snow. I was shirtless and yet I was still very much warm and content. I looked forward and in the distance, I could see a lady with curly blonde hair twirling around with her small little boy. The little boy was laughing happily as his mother swung him around in her arms. All I could do was stare at the situation with wet eyes. I noticed that an older boy and a man came walking up to the woman and child. Both a chocolate brown hair and blue eyes. They all shared an embrace before walking off into the sunset to go about their business. Little did any of them know that they'd be split apart forever after was was soon to come. I tried to call out to them, but my voice just wouldn't reach them.

I stared down at the snow below me. What was once a soft, fluffy white powder of ice, was now a pile of knee deep bloody slush. I was slowly sinking deeper and deeper into the mess, desperately trying to call out to the soon to be doomed family. I closed my eyes for a brief moment and when opened them I was staring face to face with an image of myself while I was younger. I was crying my eyes out as I stared at the closed casket, belonging to my mother. The image fade and was soon replaced with DayBreak looking dead at me with his mask on.

"What do you want?" I asked him/me.

"...I don't want jack shit dude...I just wanna die…" He said as he pulled out magnum. He pointed it at my and chuckled. "You know, it's funny…You and I aren't really all that much different."

"Fuck off…" I said to him.

"There's that vigor! There's that bullshit mask that you love to throw on to shut others out." He chuckled again. "When are you gonna change? WHEN THE FUCK ARE YOU GONNA DITCH THE BULLSHIT, MOTHERFUCKER?! WHEN?!" He shouted.

"I said, fuck off! You're not real you sack of shit! Any minute now, I'm gonna wake up from this stupid ass dream!" I shouted back at him.

"There it is! Big bad Hawthorne, trying to brush shit off again! How fucking long are you gonna keep up the tough guy act? How long are you gonna keep bullshitting yourself, along with everyone you're around? You need to wake the fuck up and become a man! Get a life! This is your last year of high school! Get a fucking job, get some fucking pussy, you sad bastard!"

"What the fuck do you know?!" I snapped back at him.

"I know a whole lot! I know you fucked things up with the AOF, you constantly get your ass handed to you on a silver plate, you also fucked things up with Sonna-"

"SHE FUCKED IT UP! SHE FUCK UP! SHE WANTED ZEYCO? SHE CAN HAVE HIS BITCH ASS!!!" I shouted, cutting him off.

"Just like with what you did to Beth..."

"What?! Fuck Beth! She wasn't worth shit anyway! She said that I didn't try with her but she wasn't doing shit with me! She was a fucking whore! She only cares about her fucking self!"

"I dunno, she looks pretty fucking content with Shadow. They seems cool with each other. Better than whatever the hell you were with her. You only wanted her to ease your own suffering." DayBreak me said back to me.

"Did it work? Fuck no! All she did was make shit worse than it already was."

"You didn't exactly make it better by snapping at her. If she was really making you that angry, then you should have talked to her about it and tried to find a solution. Instead, you sat around and moped like a sad little bitch. You pushed her away along with most of the people that tried to help you." DayBreak said.

"That's bullshit! I always wanted to change my life but... Nobody gets me...None of them understand what it is to really lose everything!"

"Milton is your best friend and tries his hardest to support you. He doesn't get to see his parents all the time either. He's been with them about four times. If I remember correctly, it was you AND Milton that were there when Karren died that night. To top it all off, you went and left you one true friend behind and joined up with you "dead" brother. The one that killed her. I'm here because of your poor decisions!"

"I never wanted to join him! I was kidnapped! I had no choice!" I shouted.

"You did have a choice! You've always had choices! Even when your own mother died, you had a choice! You could've jumped out of the dumpster and ran to her which would've gotten you both killed, or you could've followed her words and stayed alive like she wanted you to. It was an ultimatum to begin with but in the end, your mother was able to died with a good conscious, knowing that her little boy was safe!" DayBreak said.

"Shut up! You don't get it! That's the problem with everyone! They don't get anything that has to do with me! Milton...He's probably the last thing I really have left in this dumbass world. Him, R, maybe even Blake…"

"What about Nina, May and Masha?" He asked.

"Well, If Nina is good for Milton, then I'm happy for him. It's about time he stopped all the dicking around and finally got himself a girl that cares about him. As for Blake and May, they seem cool, I guess. Masha though...I still don't even know what's up with her. She's got some weird ice powers and she seems really intimate with me. I do remember talking to her after Blake chose to be with May but that was only one time. Why would she be so interested in me?"

"Not sure. I'm just mental representation of your inner self. I'm just as much you, as you are yourself. If you don't know, then I don't know. You should ask her. I mean, she did save you." DayBreak chuckled softly. " On another note, why don't we get back to people. What do you really think of Sonna?"

"What's there to think about? Like I said, fuck her! She didn't want me before and she doesn't want me know. I could care less about her." I said to him.

"You know that you're literally bullshitting yourself, right?" DayBreak responded.

"...Fuck you! You don't even exist! How the fuck do you know what I have to deal with?!"

DayBreak took off his masked and stared at me with my own face. "I'm your consciousness. I think I know when you're on Bullshit Boulevard."

"So what if I wished that she chose me?! So what if gave me a tingling feeling whenever she was on top of me or in my face, staring at me with her shiny red eyes? It doesn't matter! She clearly has a history with fuckboy Zey! She doesn't want me! Plain and simple!" I said with defeat.

"You should make it a point to ask her. You saw the sorrow in her eyes. She clearly has some form of regret for how things ended up between you two."

"... I don't know... Forgiveness is something that isn't easy to give. She played me. All because her little boyfriend from the past was gone for so long. The minute he comes back into her life, it's bye bye Chase…"

"Maybe if you weren't such a fucking pushover, you could've gotten with her and actually sealed the deal! Your problem with Karren was that you two were moving way too fast, to the point that things got complicated. Your issue with Beth was that you were depressed and she wanted too much attention. Your struggle with Sonna was that you were too hesitant about act and you couldn't handle a little competition." You need to set your priorities straight and get back in the game. You need someone in your life to take away the pain of your loneliness. R has a girlfriend that loves him. Midnight has one now as well. You need to get yourself someone that will comfort you in your times of need." DayBreak said seriously.

"Like who?" I asked.

"Well, the way I see it, you could either go and try to patch things up with Sonna, or you can try you go for the girl that is sleeping on your chest at this very moment." He said.

"Wait what?!"

"Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that. After you got knocked the fuck out, Masha brought you to her apartment. She healed your injured ass and is currently sleeping with you." DayBreak chuckled.

"That would have been nice to know earlier!" I growled.

"Oh, lighten the fuck up. Now's your chance to get some ass for once in your pathetic life. Your chances of fucking this shit up is slim to none...Then again, knowing Chase Hawthorne... You'll find a way…"

I glared at him. "What am I even supposed to do?" I asked with slight panic. "I barely know her."

"Well she seems to know a good deal about you. She seems committed to you already so I say you just go with whatever happens. Let her do her thing. If you fuck, you fuck. If not then just go with it. I highly doubt that she'll leave your ass. Apparently she's been waiting for you so...Make the wait worth it." DayBreak slapped a hand on my back. "It's time to turn your shitty ass life around. It all starts here and now. I can almost guarantee you that if you can pull her, things will go smoother from here on out."

"Are you sure about this? I thought that rushing things would lead to more bullshit and heartbreak."

"That's true but you're not rushing into anything. She wants this. She wants you! Are you gonna deny your one actual chance at getting yourself some? Or are you gonna finally man up and take charge of your own life and forget about your mistakes?" DayBreak asked.

"Your right! I'm gonna man up! It's time to fix myself! Fuck everything, including Devon! I'm nineteen for Christ sake! It's time to step up and become someone." I said with a grin. "Thanks...Me…"

"I'm your consciousness... It's what I do...Now wake up and go get your life together!"

-Masha's Apartment-

I had finally snapped my eyes open and took in my surroundings. I was in a small room. The walls were painted a light blue color. In the front of the room was a short, white dresser with a small flat screen on top of it. Next to the TV was a very familiar hat. The windows were slightly opened along with the white door. The room was clean for the most part, minus a few dishes on the bed side table. Speaking of the bed, it was queen sized with bright purple sheets.

I looked down at the blue haired girl with a small smile. I noticed she had bandaged me up and was keeping me cool with her hands which were located on my banged up torso. Her head rested on my bare chest and she breathed steadily as she slept. I slowly moved my hand to her back and rubbed it gently against her purple t-shirt as she began to stir in her sleep. I could feel my oncoming hard on when I noticed her lack of pants. She eased up and I began to caress her soft smooth arms. I pulled her closer to my chest and whispered in her ear.

"Hey Masha…"

Her bright green eyes fluttered open and looked at me with a happy expression. "Chase? You're awake."

"Yeah...Sorry about that." I said.

She ran her fingers along my jawline and smiled brightly. "What the hell happened to you?! You've been gone for so long that I was beginning to think that you died!"

"I was going through some stuff... I'm sorry…" I said back to her. I had remembered my talk with my self consciousness. I had to know why she was so into me. I didn't know her very well so why would she wanna see me safe? "Hey Masha? What made you so serious about me? I'm really not sure. I want to understand why I'm so special to you."

"...So you really don't remember…" She muttered.

"The talk on the roof? Of course I remember that but still, I can't see why that would make you so interested in me."

"It wasn't just the talk. That day wasn't the first time we met." She said. "It wasn't the first time that you cheered me up with your words of kindness. It wasn't the first time that you made me feel good about myself."

"What do you mean?" I asked, not recalling anything.

"Chase...You were the one that showed me the kindness of giving me the hat and hoodie hoodie back at the playground in New York City. When you showed me that kindness, I was filled with joy and happiness. It made me want to see you again. To this day, I still have that old hat and hoodie. The hoodie doesn't fit anymore but the hat is still my favorite. I love that hat and I will cherish it for as long as I live." She said.

"Woah... I can't believe that you're the little girl. I really didn't think I'd see you again...Or my old hat for that matter." I said with a grin.

"I dunno, I just really like people that are willing to help others. That's what made me like Blake so much…" She said.

"Right…"

"Chase... I grew up alone for so long. When you decided to play with me at the park when we were little, I felt like I had something special. You were that something. You made my day everytime we played together and I never got to thank you properly for that...but now that I'm with you again…" Her face got red as she looked into my eyes. "Chase…"

"...Masha…" I muttered to her. I needed this. I needed her to give me some affection and show me some attention. She wanted me, and I was willing to give her exactly that.

I kissed her lips lightly. It was only seconds later that she wrapped her arms tightly around my neck and deepening the kiss. I moved my mechanical hand lower down her back and my actual hand to her upper back. Her tongue lingered between my lips as she moaned quietly. I sighed with content and growled with subtle hunger. I wanted more, and I could tell that she did too. My mechanical hand gripped her ass. She let out a surprised gasped and then grinned. She bit her lip and I smirked at her. My fuck pants were suffocating my lower half.

"I'm not fucking around anymore. You gotta let me know now. Do you want me to keep going. I might not be able to stop myself if we keep this up... I don't wanna do something that you're not willing to go through with." I said.

"Chase... I won't lie to you... I still have my virginity so this is all very much new to me...but I'm willing to lose it to you if that's ok…" She said, flustered.

I flipped us over so that I was on top. I stared down at her, still trying to control myself. "I'll be a gentle as I can." I said to her.

She got my pants unbuckled and her hands started rubbing her chilling hands against my abs. I removed her purple t-shirt and admired the sight of her chest. Her face went red automatically.

"Please Chase…Continue…and take it easy on me..." She whispered in my ear. I dropped my pants to the floor and she looked directly at the tent in my boxers.

"I will...I truly will…"


	60. Pay What You Owe

**Chapter 60**

(R'S POV)

"GET OUT, DAMINE!" Shadow barked at me.

"Oh c'mon! I didn't even do anything wrong this time!" I said.

"You two were holding hands on the couch, which would then lead to cuddling, which would then lead to kissing which would then lead to pregnancy, which would finally lead to my foot up your ass!" Shadow rambled.

"...What?!" I said confused.

"Shawn, you're being absolutely ridiculous!" Raven said with annoyance. "Why do you constantly scold us for doing our thing when Beth leaves?"

"That...is not true!" He said. Raven gave him a look and Shadow then sighed. "Look, I'm just looking out for my baby sister. Is that so wrong?"

"Shawn, R isn't gonna do anything to me. He knows if he steps outta line, I'll snap him in half."

"..." What do you say to that?!

"I know you will, but I still don't trust him!" Shadow said.

"Then here's what you two are gonna do tonight…" Raven said with her hands on her hips.

"...Wait...You two?" Shadow and I said questioningly.

"YES, you two! I want the both of you to go and hang out with each other. Now!" She growled.

"Hang out?! But he sucks!" Shadow said, dropping my self esteem by three

percent…

"Shawn!" Raven yelled.

"It's true! I'm not going to some whack ass nerd convention!"

"Nobody said that!"

"You might as well have! We have just about NOTHING in common! How the hell do you expect me to hang out with him?!" Shadow yelled.

"Figure it out! I'm sick of R coming over here and getting death threats!" Raven shouted.

"If you're sick of it then tell him to leave!"

"I don't tell Beth to leave when she comes over. Do you know how many times I have to deal with you two making a ton of noise upstairs? I hate hearing the sound of you two fucking every other night!" Raven walked up to her brother and placed a demanding finger on his chest.

"Don't compare my sexy girl to this red eyed ding-a-ling!" Shadow said in Raven's face.

Raven glared and gripped his collar. She had a crazed look in her eyes. "If R has to leave then so does Beth."

"...No!"

"Shawn…" She muttered dangerously.

Next thing you know, Shadow and I are driving down the street, awkwardly in the car.

"..." I was hot so I attempted to reach for the AC.

Shadow swatted my hand away and glared. "Don't touch ANYTHING!" He snarled.

"..." The drive was long and I still didn't know where we were headed to. "Where are we going?!"

"Don't worry about it…" He said with a smirk.

"I rewatched Three Ninjas! If you try anything I will-"

"Shut up Damine! If I wanted to kill you, I would have done that months ago." He replied.

We turned down an Alleyway and he parked the car near an ominous looking door. "Where are we?"

"Brooklyn. Now get out!" He demanded.

I sighed and we both stepped out of the car. He walked up to the door and knocked a beat on the door. The door opened slowly and we were greeted with a large underground nightclub. Heavy metal was playing loudly in the background. The place was crawling with criminal scum. "This place looks... Dangerous…"

A large bulky man looked down at us. "Shadow... Who's this little runt?"

"Chill out tiny. He's my... Associate…" Shadow said.

"Alright then, step inside." The man said.

I looked around at the place. A large bar, strippers and a whole lotta gang shit was going on. The place made me shiver with discomfort. "Why are we here. Raven would kill us if she found out about this place."

"Which is why, she's NOT gonna find out about this place." He said walking over to the bar. I followed him as he ordered two shots of cinnamon whiskey. He handed me one of the glasses and downed his instantly.

"Aren't we too young to be drinking?" I asked, eyeing my glass.

He glared at me. "Listen Damine, Raven wants us to be cool with each other. I don't hang with nerdy chumps like you! Man up and life a little!"

I sighed and remembered why I was doing this. "For Raven...I guess…" I downed my drink, each drop burning my throat.

Shadow chuckled as I held my scorching throat. "There you go! Now I gotta go talk to one of my boys at the poker table real quick so why don't you go...Do a thing…" He walked off leaving me sitting awkwardly at the bar.

"Damn…" I sighed and hopped off of my barstool. I walked through the wild crowd towards the front stage. Apparently a heavy metal band was playing. I wasn't into this style of music but I decided to go with it anyway. I was getting pushed around and elbowed all over. I was starting to get a little dizzy and lightheaded. "Holy shit…" I muttered.

The music plus the alcohol was making my head spin. I felt a hand on my shoulder and I turned around and saw a dark haired woman with scantily looking clothes. She was trying to give me full view of her breasts. I looked away and glared.

"I haven't seen your face around here before. You got a name?" She asked.

"My...my name It's Rod...Ro...ROGER! It's Roger…" I slurred stupidly.

"Mmm well hello Roger. I'm so parched. You mind buying a girl a drink?" She asked.

"I... I'm brokémon. Sorry...NOW BEGONE SHE DEVIL!" I shouted randomly. She glared and stormed away.

"Typical." She muttered.

I wobbled back over to the bar and climbed back on the barstool. "Gimme... Another...DRINK!" I shouted at the bartender.

"You got da cash little man?" He asked while wiping a glass.

"WHATCHU SAY MOTHAFUCKA?!" I shouted while standing up. "You want some beef wit me bitch?!"

"Yeah...I think you've had enough to drink kid…"

"Run dat shit pussy!" I yelled. I fell back, falling off the stool. "Keep playin wit my mothafuckin emotions and see if I don't turn up in dis bitch! IT'S ROGER OBER ERRY MOTHAFUCKA IN DIS SHIT!!!" I shouted. As you could probably tell… I was pretty fucking wasted.

"...I will get the guards to escort your ass out…"

"Get them then! They can ALL run my fade!" I said slamming my fist on the bar table.

"YOU PIECE OF SHIT!" I heard Shadow yell from the poker table. I turned around and started walking towards the commotion. Shadow was snapping on a man with a gray suit on.

"Listen Shadow, this is outta my hands. John ain't willing to pay you your money at this point in time." The man said. Shadow practically seethed with rage.

"We had a fucking deal! I killed the innocents for you bastards! I want my fucking payment and I want it now, Chavez!"

"I don't know what to tell you. If da boss ain't wanting to pay you, then he ain't gonna pay you. Now get da fuck outta my face." The man said. I noticed Shadow glare when he reached into his pockets.

"Dammit Raven...You still have it…" He muttered.

"What's going on over her?" I asked.

"Nothing you need to be concerned about little boy!" Chavez said as he wiped out a Glock.

"R...Get outta here! I got it!" Shadow said.

"... Sorry Shadow...NOT HAPPENING!" I brought out my Arsenal and geared up.

"What the fuck did he just do?!" One man said.

"Who gives a shit?! Shoot his ass!" The goons unloaded gunshots at me. I blocked the bullets with my cloak. I whipped my cloak down and punched one of the goons in the gut. I saw Shadow drop two guy with a double legged dropkick. Chavez ran off towards the exit.

Shadow looked at me with a serious face. "R, you take care of the rest of these clowns. I gotta finish my chat with Chavez!" I nodded and he ran off towards the well dressed asshole.

(SHADOW'S POV)

"Chavez!" I sprinted behind him and gave him a hard bulldog. His face slammed into the concrete leaving a nasty gash on his forehead. I turned him over and started pounding his face in. "Let's try this again you fucking bitch!"

~ ** _WHACK_** ~

"Where's my fucking money?!" I said after jawing his ass.

"I don't know! You gotta go talk to John!" He said.

~ ** _WHACK_** ~

"WRONG ANSWER!!!" I yelled.

"Please! I telling the truth! I don't hold onto any of the cash! Johnathan's been real stingy with J.I.N Corps. money lately. He's been holding out on all of us! You haven't been paid and you're angry, I get that. You're just looking out for your little sister. I, as a family man, can respect that, but you gotta believe me when I tells ya, I DON'T CONTROL THE MONEY!"

Before I could continue my little interrogation, one of Chavez's goons came fly behind me, slamming into a wall. R came walking up from behind me, dusting off his hands. "Goons have been taken care of." R said.

I nodded at him and clamped my hand down on Chavez's neck. "Give Papa John's and message for me."

~ ** _WHAAAAM_** ~

"He better pay what he owes or he's gonna have a couple bodies piled up on his front door." I punt kicked him across his face, knocking him unconscious. I turned around and looked at R as he went back to normal. "Hey uh...Look...You were…"

"..." He stared at me with a stupid smile.

I sighed at him. "Look you little shit nugget, You weren't as lame as you usually are. Don't get all happy and shit…"

"You're welcome bro!" He said.

"Don't call me bro...Now get the fuck back in the car!" I snapped at him.

We got back in and drove back towards my house. I was still in a bitter mood for not getting my fucking cash but it was whatever. I looked to my right and saw R holding his stomach.

"Shadow... I don't feel so good…" R said.

"What's wrong with you?!" I asked.

"I think I'm gonna-" Without any sort of warning, the idiot blow chunks all over my dashboard.

"YOU STUPID FUCK!" I shouted while slamming my foot on the brake. "You really couldn't just opened the fucking window?! I oughta beat the shit outta you!"

"I'm sorry!" R said with panic.

"You're damn right you're sorry! When we get back, you're cleaning all of that shit up!" I demanded.

"Yes sir…"

(MIDNIGHT'S POV)

I should really take Nina out somewhere. I couldn't help but feel bad that she got mixed up in all of this shit. I sighed and brought out my iPhone X. I looked at it with a mixture of anger and annoyance.

"February first…" I muttered to myself. I didn't realize it at first but I was almost outta school. This meant that I would take over my dad's company. Ain't that a bitch. As I was walking, I bumped directly into somebody.

"Hey! Watch it asshole!" Said a familiar voice.

"How about you fucking watch yourself, bitch!" I said back to a guy with a hoodie on. His weird eyes were fierce and angry.

"You better pick your next set of words very carefully! I've been hav a bad week as it is. I'm just about ready to FUCKING TEAR SOMEONE'S SPINE OUT, AND SLAP THEM WITH IT!" The person with the black hoodie snapped. An image popped into my head.

I looked at his hands and saw his razor sharp claws. "Wait... You're Nero! What the hell are you doing here?!"

"I was going over to the Dunkin Donuts to get a caramel mocha latte before you bumped into LIKE A FUCKING ASSHOLE!"

"Oh…" I said plainly.

"Now if you'll excuse me…" He continued to walk down the sidewalk.

"Weird seeing him again." I decided to shrug my mind off of the freak and continued walking towards Chase's house. I assumed that he'd be here. I tried calling earlier but he didn't pick up the phone.

When I got to his front door, I knocked. I waited for a moment before knocking again. There was still no response. I knocked even louder for the last attempt. There was still no response. I decided to go with the fact that he wasn't here and started to head back home until the door flung open.

"Milton?"

I turned around and saw a face that I hadn't seen in a long time. "Mr. Mickey? I didn't expect you to be home. Chase said that you've been gone for a while. Speaking of Chase, is he home?" I asked.

"Nope. I haven't seen him since I've been home. You know where he could at?" The man asked.

"No... I tend to lose track of him…" I said. Mickey laughed at my words.

"Well if you see him, let him know that I'm home, alright. I gotta talk to him." He said.

I nodded. "Sure, no problem." I walked off of the porch and started my journey back home.

(CHASE'S POV)

I look at the girl laying down next to me and grinned and she snuggled closer to my chest. Shit started off slowly, but things got serious as we kept going. I felt like the motherfucking man right now. I lifted myself up slowly.

"I should probably head home." I said to her.

Masha gave me a cute ass pout. "You're not really leaving yet, are you Chase?"

"I dunno. I probably should. I've overstayed my welcome." I said while caressing her cheek.

She pulled me back down and climbed on top of me. "Stay here...With me…" She started kissing and licking my neck. Her cold tongue making me shiver.

"I...I shouldn't…" I gasped out.

"But I want you to." She kissed my lips and pressed her exposed chest onto mine.

"I've done more than I should've." I muttered back.

"It's too late for that. I don't regret it. Not one bit. I'm happy with you here with me." She kissed me again.

"But what if we get caught?" I asked her.

"We won't. I'm the only one that lives here. It's just us. Please don't leave me all alone." She begged. "Please Chase…" I loved when she said my name. It sounded good coming from here.

"...Fine…" I said.

"Thank you!" She smashed her lips against mine which only ended leading us into round two.


	61. Hired Guns

**Chapter 61**

(MIDNIGHT'S POV)

"I hope you are all prepared for midterms coming up." My lame ass accounting teacher Mr Harrison said.

"FUCK!" I shouted. I didn't study a damn thing for the past three months. I wasn't ready for this.

"When are the midterms?" A student asked from the back of the class.

"February 13. Right before Valentine's day." The teacher replied.

"But that's next week!" I said.

"Correct Mr Foyer. I would recommend that you balance your studying and make an actual effort to pass instead of trying to bribe me again."

"... Old prick…" I muttered.

The bell finally rung and the teacher dismissed us. I was walking towards the gym for PE when I bumped into Chase. He looked up and stared at me and I stared back. I noticed that his mechanical arm was gone.

"Sorry bout that…" He muttered.

"Oh... it's cool. I wasn't paying attention." I said back. "So...Are you back? You know...to being Chase and not DayBreak."

"Wish I could tell you that I was back to normal...but I'm not. For starters...I have one arm and I've got no Arsenal." He said.

"Wouldn't that make you more normal...Minus the arm of course." I said.

"Probably, but I don't like feeling unarmed. Especially with what's going on. Bioengineered zombies taking over the southern states, J.I.N Corp being active as hell, a new group of rival assassins coming out of the shadows and to top it all off, Zeyco is god knows where doing Christ knows what!" Chase exclaimed.

"I know where he's at…" Said a kid leaning on a locker.

"Wait... You're Nyjii. I remember you. You're one of Zeyco's brothers." I said.

"Where the hell is that asshole? What's he planning?!" Chase asked.

"Relax blondie... He's around... probably doing some type of smart shit in order to get back at J.I.N Corp…" He said nonchalantly.

"What? That doesn't tell us shit!" Chase snapped.

"Listen...all I'm saying is that Zey is all over these days. If you want to find him, you better look long and hard." Nyjii stuffed his hands in his pocket. "The bastard never stays in one spot…" Nyjii began to walk off towards his next class.

"What a dick…" Chase muttered.

"Yeah...So what are you gonna do about Zeyco? You seem pretty motivated to find his ass for whatever reason." I said.

"I'm gonna find him. If he's dealing with J.I.N Corp, then he shouldn't be too hard to track down." Chase answered.

Chase and I began to walk down to the cafeteria. We grabbed our small lunch and took a seat at our table. I looked at him with a smug grin on my face. He stared back with confusion.

"So...Are you doing anything special with Masha for Valentine's day?" I asked.

"What are you talking about?" He asked as he took a bite out of his taco.

"Don't pull that shit dude. You're catching feelings like a soft ass motherfucker." I said laughing.

"I don't fucking know! It's been awhile since I've felt like this. I mean, she knew me back when I was little. I never thought I'd see that girl again...and that night when I woke up next to her... I let my hormones control my actions. We uh...We…" He began stuttering.

"Oh shit! You fucked the ice chick?! My fucking man! I knew you had it in you bro." I said to him with a wide smile.

"Yeah…" He said grinning.

"You put that ass to sleep didn't you?" I asked jokingly.

"Man, I went ham in the first round. When she said she wanted more, I put that shit in a fucking coma!" He chuckled.

Goddamn! I'm trying to snow plow the fuck outta Nina but... she's a little bit less willing to give up her pussy to a real motherfucker. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love that girl and I don't mind being here." I raised my hand slightly. "But I wanna be here!" I lifted my hand up higher. "I'm tryna blow her back the fuck OUT!"

"That's that shit my dude. Stick with it. She'll let you knock up those ankles eventually. You're Milton Foyer. You've got a damn reputation of getting in between a bitch's thighs. If she doesn't let you smash, than she a sister ass chick." Chase said to me.

"Real shit." I said.

The bell rung and we began to head to our next class. As we were walking, I began to ask him about his uncle.

"So is your uncle back for good?" I asked.

"Meh. It all kinda depends. To him, back for good means that he's been home for three days, and in those three days he's been trying to pick up woman, or actually doing some next level shit." Chase sighed.

"Where'd he even go?" I asked as we neared my next class.

"Shit dude... It's a lot to explain. When he first told me this morning, I didn't even believe him. I'll fill you in later but for now, I should head to class. Mr Collins is kind of a dick." He said as he dapped me up.

"Alright bro, take it easy." I said to him.

I stepped inside and sat down at my desk. I knew that I wasn't about to pay attention to any of this shit so I got my phone out and started texting Nina. I wasn't planning on doing shit in class anyway.

-At Chase's House-

(MICKEY'S POV)

"Goddamn bills…" I muttered as I sifted through the envelopes. I dropped them on the table and let out an annoyed breath. I walked over to the couch and turned on my afternoon soap operas. I began to relax as I looked around my old living room. I looked at the end table a picked up a picture of me and my older brother.

"Damn Charlie... It's been too long. Your boys really becoming a man now. In few months he'll be out on his own. Doing college stuff like his old man." I said looking at the picture. "Or maybe he'll pick up where you left off and follow in our footsteps. Hard to believe that twenty something years ago, you and I were just two guys looking for a decent way to get by…"

-Twenty eight years ago-

(NO POV)

"Michael…" a brown haired man called out. The man got no response. "Michael!" The man called out louder in the dark, run down apartment. "GODDAMNIT!!!" The brown haired man kicked open a door and stomped over to the lumpy mattress where a black haired man was sleeping. The man was sprawled out, holding a bottle of Bud Light. The brown haired man threw the sheets off of the other man and kick him off of the bed. The man in his underwear got up and clutched his head. "For fuck sake Michael! Are you fucking hungover again?!"

"...Maybe...sorta hungover...look it's not that big a deal Charlie." Michael said.

"You're a fucking mess!" Charles said to his brother. "Put you shit on and let's go."

"We gotta job? Who's asking for the Hawthorne's handy services today?"

"You know damn well that we've gotta go help Ariana with her monthly weapons shipment." Charles said to his brother.

Micheal sighed. "Goddamnit Charlie! I'm sick of all this fucking grunt work! We're in Oakland California! One of the most dangerous crime filled cities in the country. We became vigilantes in order to clean these fucked up streets. Instead, we're lifting crates and shit?! Just yesterday we were helping Martyn clean his shop after it got robbed instead of chasing down the bastards that robbed it."

"...I see what you mean...But we do these jobs because we can't afford to pay off our debt. We owe Ariana for our weapons and Martyn covers our food issue so stop complaining, get your clothes on and let's go!" Charles said as he walked out of the dirty room.

Charles finished tying his red tie, threw his black vest on over his white shirt and strapped his Python 45. Cal magnum revolver to his side and put his long sharp survival knife in the sheath on his back. He grabbed his pack of smokes and headed out front.

Michael walked out with his black suit and red tie. His white katana was strapped to his back. He walked up to his brother and grinned.

Charles let out a puff of smoke. "Why the hell are you grinning like such happy bastard? A couple of minutes ago, you were all pissy about having to do more lifting."

"Well I'm hoping to tag another lady tonight so this day won't go completely without action." Michael said to his brother.

"You're a dickhead. You need to quit fucking with those goddamn prostitutes. You know what Gary Cooper's shleezy ass does to them. It's undignified as all living hell. Those bitches don't know any better. You're not helping their cases when you're fucking each one of them." Charles scolded.

"Oh would you lighten the fuck up. You could use some pussy you know."

"I'm surprised that you haven't caught an STD with all the fucking you do." Charles said as he started walking off.

"Hey! You can't deny that I bring home a decent amount when I sleep with some of those rich lonely house wives." Michael said as he ran after his brother.

"You're getting paid to bone some sad sack's wife in their own home and create affairs. You're nothing but a fucking homewrecker."

"Don't knock it till you try it. You'd be surprised how much some of those babes are willing to pay in order to get a good stroke. It's not my fault if their man isn't laying it on good enough for them. Poor guys probably got a fucking micropenis." Michael joked.

"You're a fucking idiot." Charles grumbled as he dropped his cigarette and stomped it out.

The two men walked over to the small gun shop and stepped inside of it. A young red haired woman ran up to them and greeted them. "Why hello again boys. Good to see you guys are here to help with another shipment."

"Yeah well, we do owe it to you and your mother so it's the least we can do." Charles said.

"Well are you guys hungry. Mom just made some hot dogs. You boys are more than welcome to join us for lunch."

"That sounds great-" Michael was cut off by his brother.

"Thanks Ari, but we gotta head over to Ryan after this. Old man might actually have some fucking work for us this time." Charles said.

"Oh, well that's too bad. If you change your mind let me know. We've got more than enough. Not many people are dumb enough to try and rob a fully equipped gun shop." Ariana said.

"Yeah...a little too risky." Michael said with a grin.

"Well, we'll get to it then. C'mon Michael."

The two men spent a good hour and a half unloading crates of ammo and shelving the new weapons. It was dark out once they started wrapping things up. After they finished they headed out of the shop. The two men walked down an alleyway where a police car parked hidden from sight. A fat pale man was huffing his cigar waiting for the two men.

"Well if it ain't the chief. Whatcha calling us for Ryan?" Michael asked.

The man sighed. "Don't call me by my actual name you…" Ryan stopped himself. "Listen, you two are actually needed this time."

"Oh boy! You hear that Charlie boy?! Big Ryan's got work for us. What a lovely surprise!" Michael said loudly, earning him a slap on the back of the head from his brother.

"Shut up Michael." Charles said to his brother. The brown haired man looked away his brother. "You gonna give us work or not? What are we dealing with Ryan?"

"We got a call in at the station Gary and his boys again." Ryan said. Charles brought out a cigarette and gestured for Ryan to give him a light. Ryan complyed and lit the man's cigarette with his lighter. "The shit stain is out here trying to reach out and recruit more hookers. Only thing is... It's forced recruitment. He's going to some of the shittier parts of this hell hole of a city and is trying to get more young women into prostitution." Charles grit his teeth and Michael gave a hard look.

"That fucking bitch. As if his disgusting ass wasn't already making this city more of a fucking mess." Charles hissed.

"Back when he was a small elusive gang, the cops would tend to turn a blind eye. Mostly just because the crooked bastards were slagging the whores with desperate dicks that they couldn't keep in their pants. Sick bastards. Gary's gang is a fucking problem now. The forcing of ignorant women to sell their bodies has gotten outta hand."

So where do we come in?" Charles asked.

"The police ain't willing to take down Gary and his crew...so I want you two to do it." Ryan said to them.

Without any sort of hesitation, Charles said "Consider it done. That slimy prick is as good as dead." The man bit down on his cigarette and shoved his hands in his pocket. He walked ahead with Michael following behind.

"Charlie, will you cool it for a second. We need to go over a plan. Gary's got like fifty men with him." Michael said to him.

Charles stopped dead in his tracks. "I don't know how shit like this doesn't infuriate you. Mom was working the fucking corners just to put food on the table. She sold her body to provide for us because our dad was an asshole. He made her that way...now here you are... fucking these girls that have no choice and then selling yourself to rich woman in Los Angeles to make a quick buck... you're a real piece of shit." Charles continued walking towards the Double D's strip club with his brother following silently behind.

As they neared the location, they came across a crying cream skinned woman with shoulder length red hair in a skimpy blue dress. She wasn't wearing a bra and had one of her thin straps slumped down her shoulder. She was currently wiping blood from her nose.

Charles looked at her and was prepared to ask her what happened until Michael stepped forward. "Hey little lady. What's got you teary eyed?" He asked.

"No please! I... I don't want to get beaten again. Please just leave me alone." She said with panic in her navy blue eyes.

Michael caressed her cheek softly and slowly reassured her that we weren't trouble. "Don't worry baby, we're here to help you." Michael brought out a black handkerchief and wiped the blood off of her face. "Now help us help you. What's a gorgeous face like yours doing, crying in an alleyway next to a strip club?"

The woman sniffed a bit and looked at Michael's chocolate brown eyes. "Gary's got us working overtime and isn't paying up. He's going through one of his little temper tantrums again. I was unfortunate enough to be standing nearby when it started...this is the first time it's happened…"

Charles glared and began walking towards the entrance. Michael watched him with a serious look. He looked back at the woman. "You got a name to go with that pretty ass face?" Michael asked.

"Cerise Lambert…" She said with a small smile.

"Michael Hawthorne.The ladies call me Mickey. The other guy was my brother Charles. Here's our card." He handed her a black slip.

"Hawthorne's Hired Guns…" The woman read. "What do you guys do?"

"I can do a bunch of things but when we're on the clock, we take care of certain... issues in the city. Call us if you need anything or you just wanna talk. I gotta go get back to work." Michael ran towards the entrance to the strip club where his brother was waiting. "Just got us a regular."

Charles rolled his eyes and readied his gun. "No games. We go in, take care of Gary and get out. Got that?!" Charles asked with a raised brow.

"Yeah yeah yeah…" Michael said back.

Charles sighed and proceeded to kick open the door. Five people stared at the two brothers with a look of either shock and or panic. "So on a scale of one to ten, do you know how fucked you all are? Where's Gary?!" Michael asked.

"Aww fuck! It's those fucking hired guns!" A bald man said.

"I prefer the term assassins but it's whatever. You're all gonna dying if you don't tell us where Gary's at!" Charles said angrily.

"What's going on here?" Said a man with a green suit on.

"Fucking Gary!" Charles said. He pointed his gun at the man. Michael unsheathed his katana. "You're done you sick bastard! You and your crew!"

"No sir... I'm not done. I'm gonna keep raking in dough off of these low life bitches and I'm gonna keep running Oakland's number one prostitution business. The cops didn't do jack shit about it so what makes you think that two well dressed dickheads are gonna stop it?"

"...because we're the only people in this fucked up city that are qualified to fuck you up!" Michael yelled.

Gary clap his hands together. "Excellent excellent! Let's just see how qualified you two shit stains are!" Gary snapped his fingers together and right away a group of goons step forward holding weapons of all sort. "Kill em well boys!" The multiple goons rain down shots at the two brothers.

Michael ran forward deflecting all the bullets with his sword. He cut two guys across their chest. He spun around a decapitated one of the goons. He threw his katana in between the eyes of a man that was standing by the bar. Michael ran up to the dead man and kicked the blade out of his skull, caught it and thrusted his blade back into a man's abdomen.

Meanwhile, Charles was pushing past multiple guys in pursuit of Gary. He followed him into a lounge room where Gary was waiting for him. He had a gun pointed at the skull of a topless woman.

"I'll fucking shoot! I will! Back up bitch! I ain't dicking around here man!" Gary said nervously.

"Please no! I didn't do anything wrong! Gary please!" The blonde woman screamed.

"Shut up bitch!" Gary growled. He looked back up at Charles with a sweaty grin. "So...make your move chump!"

"Make my move... alright…" Charles said. Faster than the eye could see, Charles tapped one bullet into Gary's hand, causing him to drop his gun. Wasting no time at all, Charles drove his free fist into Gary's face, breaking his now leaking nose. "How does that feel you pussy?!" Charles looked at the topless woman. "Get the hell outta here. This part of the job is quite graphic."

The girl nodded and grinned. "Do your thing." She said as she ran out. Michael walked through the the open door with blood all over his face and clothes.

"So...you got it from here or…" Michael said.

"Yeah... I got this…" Charles said.

"Please don't...I got money...I got drugs!" Gary pleaded. He looked at Michael with hopeful eyes. "C'mon Mike, all the hoes gave you, all the bitches I let you sleep with! You really gonna do me like this?!"

"Gary…" Michael slammed the tip his blade into the hole in Gary's hand. Charles aimed his gun at his head. "Shut the fuck up and burn in hell…"

~ ** _BANG_** ~

-Present-

(CHASE'S POV)

"What the hell are you going on about?!" I asked my rambling uncle.

"Oh...uh don't worry about it. Just reminiscing..." Mickey said.

"...Right..."


	62. Settle for nothing less

**Chapter 62**

(CHASE'S POV)

I glanced at the stub that used to be my right arm as I sat down in the basement. My uncle was tinkering with some weird looking arm thing.

"You know, you're lucky your pops and I were always good with machines." Mickey said to me.

"How long is this gonna take?" I asked.

"Not much longer, so just relax." He responded. "And I know you lost the Arsenal that I specifically told you NOT to touch."

"In hindsight, you really shouldn't tell a curious teen not to do something. It only compelled me to do it more." I said with a shrug.

Mickey rolled his eyes. "You're lucky that I can call it back."

"How?" I asked. Mickey slid over to his large computer and started typing. Within seconds the small white device materialized in my hands. "Holy shit!"

"What the hell?!" Mickey said. "Who fucked with my Arsenal?!" He snatched the box from my hands and glared.

"It was probably the assholes that kidnapped me…" I told him.

"Kidnapped?" He asked.

"Yeah...they were a group of assassins. Pretty lame if you ask me."

"What was their name?" Mickey asked.

"I don't know...The fucking Core or some shit like that."

"...The Core…sounds familiar." Mickey was scratching his chin.

"The weirdest part was that Devon was one of them. Lying bastard!" I growled.

"GODDAMNIT!" Mickey shouted as he slammed his fist down onto the table. "Malachi and Professor S...Cheap ass fucking cheaters just love taking my ideas...and my nephews!"

"..." I stayed silent.

"Listen Chase, those guys are bad news. Your father and I kicked their asses at one point but I guess they can't sit the fuck down and take a goddamn L!"

"Okay…"

~ ** _SLAP_** ~

"OW! What the fuck Mike?!" I asked angrily after he slapped me.

"This is serious. If their back then there's no telling what the fuck they might do! They've got a group now, which means that they are more than prepared to fight. Lord help us…" Mickey said dramatically.

"Well we got the AOF!" I said.

~ ** _SLAP_** ~

"MICHAEL!" I snarled.

"The AOF ain't gonna help us!" He said.

"Why the fuck not?"

"You don't understand. I'm not exactly on good terms with them as of now." Mickey said.

"...What did you do?" I asked.

"Disobeyed direct orders, went against and fought the director and... stole a couple of things." He said.

"What things?" I asked.

"..." He remained silent.

"Mickey!" I shouted.

"GODDAMNIT CHASE! THE FIRST ARSENAL! I NEEDED IT TO PUT AN END TO THE CORE SO…I took it…" He said shamefully.

"But I thought that you built it! I heard you say that you made it yourself!" I said.

"Sorry kid...but you heard wrong. I didn't make the Arsenal. The one that built it was your dad back when he first started the AOF... without me…" Mickey said sadly.

"What?" I asked with confusion.

"Your dad developed the plans for the Arsenal. The only problem was that he was broke as hell. We both were. If it wasn't for your dad's new associate, Maria, he wouldn't have been able to get his big project started. He needed to get the money and Maria had a ton of it. She was rich and rightfully so. She funded your daddy's work and helped him launch his development. The Arsenal was gonna be huge. He was gonna sell it to the Pentagon and makes billions of dollars a year. He was going to revolutionize modern warfare and create advanced combat for our US militants. Your dad had finally finished his first Arsenal and was ready to present it to General Wallace aka the US general at the Pentagon. Once he was finished, he proposed to his right hand woman Maria. Once they got married... I screwed everything up."

"What the hell are you talking about?!" I asked.

"After they got married, Charlie brought the Arsenal to the Pentagon and demonstrated its use. He showed it off with joy and bragged about it's effectiveness. Not only was he commended for his work, but he was also tasked by the president with forming the Assassins of Faith. The first and only US approved assassination group. He accepted the role and with the help of Maria, he was able to make the AOF a success. Things went well for him and Maria. They had Devon and you, they got a nice penthouse suite for all of you in the city of New York."

"..." I had nothing to say.

"I busted inside of the house with a group of people...they were an old crew that your father and I used to work with. This involved Malachi Pearson and Theodore Skarsgard aka Professor S. They were good men up until I asked them to help me steal your father's work. We eventually succeeded in our objective but ultimately ended up creating more issues. Your father and I got into a bit of a scuffle and for a while, we ended up hating each other. On top of that, Malachi and Theodore began to show their true colors. They were greedy men that sought after power. They wanted your father's work for themselves and because of this, they decided to go against Charlie." Mickey explained.

"So what happened after that?" I asked.

"Your father and I distanced ourselves from each other. Until we could see eye-to-eye we decide that it was best to go our separate ways. I never did give the Arsenal back, and due to my incompetence, your father's project was pushed back a few more years. I was stupid. I let my fear of abandonment get the best of me...which only led to us being even farther apart. I felt left out of his project and I wanted to be like him. What a fool I was." Mickey said.

"..." I didn't know want to say.

"I... it's all my fault...he…they...Chase I'm really sorry…" Mickey started. Realization hit me like a truck. I began piecing things together.

"It's because of you...This whole time it was your goddamn fault! Mickey...WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK!!!" I snarled.

"Listen Chase, I know how this looks but I would never-"

"Fuck all of that shit. You got my parents killed! You killed your own brother you fake ass bastard!" I shouted at him.

"Chase would you just relax for a moment-"

"No! This whole time I was wondering who got my mom and dad killed, and here I find out that it was you and your little group of haters. I should've known." I continued.

"Chase... listen to me... I have held many regrets for my actions, but don't you dare talk to me like I don't care about my own family. I wish I could change the past...but I can't. I need you to understand that I had no part in the assassination of your parents. Had I have known about Malachi's plan, I'd of stopped it before it even started."

"...So what now then... Mom and dad are gone and Devon is on the wrong side. What the fuck are you gonna do to make things right?!" I asked.

"As of now, I need you to trust me and stay on my side. I want to finish this and as long as you're on my side, we can do just that." Mickey said.

"And how's that?" I asked.

"Well for starters... I'm gonna fix up this Arsenal and get it back to you." Mickey said.

"Ok…" I started to walk out of the room when a thought came to me. "How was it that the first Arsenal was able to be used by me?" I asked my uncle.

"Huh?"

"If it was in development before I was born then...how can I use it. Shouldn't you or Dad be the only ones?"

"Good point. Truthfully I don't have an answer. Could have something to do with the fact that it was never really used for combat before. It was mostly for demonstrations. It could also be because your father's death. It's true that each Arsenal should be catered to one and only user, but I guess blood relations don't exactly take that into effect. Look, the bottom line is that this particular one is quite strange in its own right. As I tinker with it and discover more about it, I'll let you know." He said.

"Uh ok then…" I replied.

"So...You got a little girlfriend now, huh?" He said suggestively.

"Oh God not this shit…" I groaned.

"Oh c'mon Chase, I've had my fair share of women in my day. I can smell when there's sex going on." He winked. I failed to suppress my growing blush.

"Would you just shut the hell up." I growled.

"Who is she? Is she cute...sexy... can she suck-"

"MICKEY!" I shouted, flustered.

"What? I gotta know. Give me details goddamnit!" He asked.

"Her name is Masha Grey. She's a senior at Camlock High School. Apparently she and I used to play with each other when we were super young. She's cool and everything but she kinda freaks me out sometimes." I said.

"Aww, you got a stalker... That's just precious." Mickey joked.

I rolled my eyes at him. "Wow... You're quite an asshole."

"So how'd you bang her. I know you did. What's this, your second time? I hope you had protection…"

"...Define Protection…" I muttered.

"...Oh poor, poor nephew. You didn't wrap it up?!"

"No...It was in the heat of the moment." I replied.

"Was it just a smash and dash type of situation, or is the real deal?" He asked giddily.

"I don't know for sure. We're just rolling with it for now I guess...It was pretty good though…" I said thinking about her. Masha was fucking amazing. Hitting that shit facetime, staring into her pretty eyes only to end up pounding the fuck outta her sweet ass. It felt great...it truly did…

"I bet it was. You even managed to catch feelings for her." Mickey said.

"Not you too…" I sighed.

"All I'm saying is trust and fear the power of the vagina my nephew."

"Please... stop…" I begged.

"Alright, I'll chill." He said. My phone started to ring. I whipped it outta my pocket and stared long and hard at the caller ID. "What's up with you?"

"It's her! Should I answer it?" I asked.

"Why you asking me for?! She ain't my girlfriend!" Mickey said defensively.

I rolled my eyes at him. "Absolutely useless…" I decided to answer the phone. "Hey babe... What's up?"

"Look outside your living room window." She said.

I decided to comply and walked upstairs, leaving Mickey to finish up the Arsenal. I looked through the blinds and saw Masha sitting up on a tree branch with her smooth legs crossed over one another.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"I came to see you. I hate being so far away from you. I think about you all the time Chase. You make me tremble whenever I think about our night together." She said.

"Wh...what?!" I asked.

"I'm planning on keeping my sweet Chase safe. I'll be looking out for." She said happily.

"Uh... Don't you think that's a little... stalker like?"

"Of course not. The father of my children should be close to me, right? I swear that I won't let anything happen to you." She declared from the branch.

"...You know... you could come inside."

"Really? W... would that be ok?" She asked innocently.

"Yeah, sure…"

With little to no warning, I was tackled by her and kissed immediately. This shit was already getting wild…

(R'S POV)

"Damn!" I snapped as I dropped the controller. "I can't beat you dude! You play this shit too much." I said to Shadow.

"R... you and I literally just got back from the store where WE both bought it." Shadow said.

"...Round eleven! I got your ass this time." R said with a grin.

"Yeah right. You're fucking trash Damine."

"Aww, it's nice to finally see my two boys getting along." Raven said as she plopped down in my lap, temporarily distracting me. Shadow seemed to pick up on that because after he let out a sharp exhale, her began an onslaught of attacks that got me killed.

"FUCK!" I shouted.

"WOOOOOO!!! IN YO FACE BITCH!!!" Shadow said.

"Sorry R…" Raven said half-heartedly.

"Yeah... it's whatever…" I grumbled.

"R...You really suck at injustice 2 man…" Shadow said to me.

"Screw this stupid game. Catch me in some Xenoverse 2!" I challenged.

"That game is fucking ass!" Shadow growled.

"You're just jealous…" I muttered. Just then, there was a knock at the door. Shadow walked over to go answer it, leaving me and Raven. "So what's on the agenda. I got a few more hours till I gotta head home."

"I don't know. I might just take a shower." She said.

"Need help with your back?" I asked.

Her face grew red and her eyes widened. "R!"

"I'm kidding…" I told her. I was halfway telling the truth.

"Yeah...sure you were." She said. Guess her bullshit detector went off.

As she got up I grabbed her hand and looked at her with a somewhat serious gaze. "We gotta talk." I told her.

"... You're not-"

"No! I would never!" I replied quickly.

"Good because I might've broke your neck…" She said with a grin.

"Uh…" I stared at her with a raised brow.

"Just kidding." She quickly said before pecking my cheek. "I'll be right back."

"... I think my bullshit detector just went off…" I said sweating.

I sat on the couch staring at the TV screen. Shadow had came back and grabbed a beige trench coat from the coat rack. He looked at me and winked. I knew that he was about to go out on a "business" trip. I nodded at him and he walked out of the house.

Now that just left me and Raven. That makes things so much easier for me. Raven had to know. I needed her to understand my situation and this is only gonna make us stronger. I need an answer from her and I'm gonna get it too.

(SHADOW'S POV)

I was driving down the forty eight heading into the Southside of Brooklyn. I made sure I had my Arsenal on me this time around. I wasn't taking any chances. I either get paid, or bodies are gonna start piling up on Jonathan's doorstep.

After about thirty minutes of driving, I ended up at a small warehouse. I stuffed my hands in my coat pockets and casually strolled over to the place. I looked at the large metal door.

"Silent or loud…" I tapped on the hard metal and smirked. "LOUD IT IS!!!" I went Arsenal and sliced the door open with my large blade. I pushed through and stared at the bastards in the room.

"Who the fuck are-" Rico started.

I didn't let the bastard finish. I stabbed him so hard that the tip of my sword cut through him and the damn chair.

"I'm not here for the bullshit games! Where the fuck is my payment?!"

"We don't-" Castello started.

"Say you don't know! I fucking dare your stupid ass to say that dumb shit to my face!" I growled. "Better yet, tell me where John is! I'll talk to him personally and get my cash!"

"Shawn...if you wanted to talk...all you had to do was ask." Said a cold voice.

I turned around and looked at the man in the red suit wearing shades and a red hat. "John…" I snarled.

"You want your money right? Then you're gonna have to put in a little bit more effort." John said, puffing his cigar.

"Fuck that, and FUCK YOU JOHN!!!" I shouted as I lunged at him. He quickly whipped out a golden revolver and shot me in my chest. Thank God the bullet didn't hit an organ. It did hurt like hell though.

I dropped to the floor directly in front of John. He grabbed me by my hair and pointed the gun towards my temple. "You're going to keep killing for me Shawn...and you're going to enjoy watching the bloodshed." He slammed my face into the cement and started walking away. "Oh and Shawn...if you ever come at me like that again...God forbid you see what I do to your dear little sister." He then tossed a small stack of cash at me. "Three hundred dollars...do with it what you will…"

"...Son...of a...bitch…" I muttered.

"Irene...get my jet ready. Muhammad, Jackie, show Shawn the way out." John said.

(R'S POV)

"C'mon Rodman...just ask her...if she's cool with it, then I'll finally know what Midnight's talking about. If she not, then I'll let her know that I understand...or she'll splatter my entrails all over the walls…' I grew pale and my own words. "Hmm...Maybe I shouldn't ask Raven …"

"Ask me what?" She said from behind.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!" I screamed out.

"What's wrong? You said that we had to talk so... let's talk." She said.

"You see Raven... I um...me being a v...ver...a ver...a very nice guy, I don't want to be insensitive to your wants and desires in life." DAMN IT ALL!!!

"What?" She asked, confused.

"I just wanted to...uh...you know...I mean like...if you're ok with me to a point where you and I... because soulmates usually feel a certain comfort level…" Why is this so difficult?!

"R...Chill out. Take a deep breath and relax. Just talk to me." She said leaning in closer. To say that I wasn't in a daze would be a lie. She smelled good, she looked good and her voice both soothed and terrified me.

"I...I...SHIT! I can't do it! I don't want to ruin this! I'm such a freaking wimp! I don't know what the hell I'm even thinking! I almost made you hate me because of these stupid urges and Midnight's fucking stories and unhelpful advice!" I said as I fell in her lap.

"What are you talking about?!" Raven questioned.

"I keep getting turned on around you whenever we're alone and when I leave, I start thinking about you and then I...FUCK!!!" I shouted. I just want to make this feeling go away. I want to try it but not with just anyone... I want to lose my v-card to you Raven."

"R…" She said softly.


	63. Can't Cope

**Chapter 63**

(R'S POV)

"R…" I heard a voice call my name.

My eyes snapped open. I stared at my surroundings. I was currently laying down in Raven's house on her coach. Raven was looming over me with a dark blue t-shirt and some sweatpants on. God how I loved her!

"What the hell?! What happened?" I asked. I was so lost right now.

"I dunno. I just got out of the shower. You were asleep so I decided to wake you up." She said.

"So I didn't...We never talked?" I asked.

"Talked? Talked about what?" She asked.

"Nevermind. It's irrelevant. I think that I might just head home. I'm exhausted." I said to her.

"Oh, ok...Well I guess I'll just see you tomorrow then…" She said with mild disappointment and subtle confusion.

"Sorry but I just don't feel right. I need some sleep."

"It's fine. Go ahead and gets some rest R." She said.

"I'll see you later." I said as I went through the door. I went Arsenal and jumped to the skies, hopping building to building. As I leapt from the rooftops I began to dwell on my thoughts. I need to get rid of this feeling. I can't keep holding on to this. I need to get help. As much as I didn't want to admit it, I was going through some hormonally active bullshit. I was at a stage the would make or break me. I know the one man that could possibly help. I had to see him.

-The Next Day-

(MIDNIGHT'S POV)

I didn't expect to be snatched up and taken behind the school before classes. I was so caught off guard that I hit my Arsenal and whipped out one of my shotguns.

~ _ **CLICK CLICK**_ ~

I aimed my shotgun at the girl in front of me. My finger was itching to pull the trigger. She had a lot of nerve sneaking me the way she did.

"Just let me explain myself." The blonde girl started.

"You've been missing for the past month and a half. How do I know that I can really trust you?!" I asked.

"Because I'm on your side Midnight! Don't be an asshole!" She snapped.

"Bitch! I should pump six shots into you right now!" I growled.

"Look, I want to help you but I can't if you don't trust me." She continued.

"Why should I trust you?! After what your hoe ass did to my best friend? Do you know what you did to him? The guy lost his mind and his arm!"

"I'm sorry about that but I promise you that I won't do anything like that ever again. I want Chase to be happy but I also want to save Zeyco from himself."

"Fuck Zeyco and fuck you, Sonna!" I snarled.

"I can help!" She yelled.

"You can also hurt." I replied back.

"Just give me a chance." She begged. "I have to fix things. I could have made this whole situation better, but instead, I made them worse."

"I'll think about it…" I said. "Now fuck off!"

"You'll see. I'll show you that I can help you all!" She declared.

I stared at her as she walked back inside of the school. Why she thought that I would listen to her talk bullshit to me behind the school, I'll never know.

I went out of Arsenal and walked inside to start my school day. As I walked towards my first block, I ended walking into R.

"Oh, hey Midnight." He said to me.

"Sup R. What's up? You look depressed for some reason." I said.

"Huh? Oh it's nothing." He said with a fake ass smile.

"She wouldn't let you hit it?" I asked.

"I didn't even ask…" He said.

"Damn dude. I won't lie, I kinda feel you though. I wanna dive deep in Nina but I want her to know that that's not the only reason I'm with her." I said.

"I don't wanna mess things up with her but I also really wanna do the nasty!" R said.

"...Do you jerk off?" I asked.

"Yeah…" He said with shame.

"Damn, you got it bad. How the hell did Chase get laid?!" I asked.

"Beats me… Hey, you talk to Blake recently?" He asked.

"Not since the whole train incident with Chase. Why do you ask.?" I asked him back.

"Not sure. He's been pretty distant lately. He hasn't even given me any assignments." R said.

"Makes sense. I'll ask May about him."

"Alright. I'm gonna head off." R said as he walked in the opposite direction.

"See you man."

I brought out my phone and started to text Nina. I asked her if she knew what was up with Blake. She said that she hadn't seen anything out of the ordinary. This left me wondering.

(BLAKE'S POV)

I stared at my surroundings. The city was lively. It almost made me regret what was sure to come.

"Three… two…" I started counting backwards. When I saw my target, I lunged off of the rooftop and landed on the sidewalk. "ONE!" I shouted. I aimed my grapple gauntlets at the fifth story window. I pulled myself up and into the building. "Activate stealth tech!" I said as I went invisible. I shot out all of the ceiling lights and activated my night vision.

"What the hell was that?!" Said a Chinese man. I swiftly snapped his neck and threw a kunai at another. One by one, I was dropping guys back and forth. Once I was done, I sprinted out of the board room and chased after a man holding a briefcase. He went straight for the elevator. Before he got inside, I shot a grapple through his thigh and yanked him towards me.

"You're not going anywhere, dickhead!" I said to him.

"Wait! I was just following orders-"

~ _ **CRACK**_ ~

I stomped my boot on top of his skull, giving him more than a concussion. Once I picked up the case, I opened it to find multiple papers scattered around inside. I looked at one paper in particular. The paper had a picture of a brown skinned little boy. The kid was Kevin Gates. He was born and raised in Atlanta Georgia. Apparently he's one of the few survivors from the mutation outbreak. All that aside, it still didn't explain why J.I.N Corp would want to go after him. I mean, he's only eight. It doesn't make sense.

"Wait a second…" I muttered to myself. "Chase went to the mutation zone...He may have intel on this kid." I saved the picture the picture of the kid and decided to go out of the building. The police we swarming the area so I decided to hit the stealth mode of my suit an leapt from outta the third story window of the skyscraper.

(CHASE'S POV)

"If you wanted to borrow my shirt, all you had to do was ask." I said to my girl.

Masha smile at me. "Well if you're offering, then I won't say no."

"You're lucky it looks good on you." I said. It truly did. My white fitted tank top suit her real well.

I looked outside of the window and saw that the sky was quite dark. I hadn't noticed that the Masha and I had been hanging out for so long at my house. It was nice to spend time with her. She reminded me of the time I spent with Karren. Even though she came off as a little bit weird sometimes, it was still pretty fun to have her around.

"Where's your uncle?" She asked.

"Mickey? He just left for a bit to go get groceries. Why do you ask?" I spoke suggestively.

"Oh it's nothing... I was just a little curious." She said with a grin.

"You got that look again." I said.

"What look?" She asked.

"The "I'm gonna borderline rape my boyfriend" type of look."

"I would never." She said. "I mean… It's not like we're alone and in a comfortable place to…You know…" She bit her smiling lips. Her face reddened and her green eyes shifted to the floor.

I walked up to her her grabbed her waist with my on good arm. "You know, between my tight shirt and lack of pants, I think it's safe to say that I'm horny as hell right now." I wasn't kidding. "I'm diving deep, babe. You better watch yourself."

"I've taken it before... I can take it again!" She challenged back at me.

"Is that so? Alright then. I won't waste your time!" I said while lifting her up, playfully slamming her onto the couch. I kissed from her neck to her cleavage. I won't lie, she smelled like vanilla and it was making me even more excited.

She wrapped her smooth and slender legs around my waist as I moved in to kiss her soft lips with my rough and potentially chapped ones. Her hands slid down my torso until she got to the underside of my shirt. Her chilling fingers danced all over me. The sensation drove me over the edge. As much as I wanted to continue, a knock at the front door snapped me out of it.

"You expecting anyone?" Masha asked. I could tell that she was just as pissed off as I was.

"Nope. Mickey probably just forgot his keys again. "I said as I walked over to the door.

I opened it to be greeted by Blake. He stared at me with a passive expression. "Sup Chase."

"Uh…Hey Blake...What are you doing here?" I asked.

"Oh don't worry. I just got back from a mission. You mind if I come in for a sec? I have to talk to you about something important." He asked.

"I uh...I guess…" DAMN!

I moved aside in order for him to have a clear path inside. When he walked in, I moved him to the dining room and told him to sit down in one of the chairs. He nodded to my as I went to get him something to drink. At this point, Masha had walked over and greeted Blake herself. Once we were all settled, Blake had finally begun talking.

"Ok... Listen Chase...I have to start out by asking you, what do you remember from Georgia?" He asked.

A stream of devastating event flashed through my head. The group of survivors, the betrayal, the loss of my arm. "A whole lot of bullshit."

He nodded. "Now what can you tell me about this kid?" He showed me a picture of a brown skinned little boy.

"...This kid…" I said.

"Kevin Gates. Do you know him?" He asked.

"I...I saved him. Last time I saw him was right before I got taken by the fucking Core." I answered.

"That's good Chase. I'm glad you have some sort of prior knowledge of this situation. It makes this a helluva lot easier to explain." Blake sighed.

"Well, go on then."

"Ok...To start off, Kevin Gates is the biological son of Jonathan Tuckerson. You know, the CEO of J.I.N. Ever since he found word that his ex-wife and daughter were killed, he went made. He was determined to find a way to fix the Atlanta outbreak. Only problem is his "solution" involves experimentation that is not only extremely hazardous, but also completely useless. He's trying to create the ultimate weaponized humans." Blake explained.

"That sounds a lot like-"

"The prototypes? Well that's kinda where he started with. I'm aware that you're familiar with Zeyco Grid. Am I correct?" He asked.

"Yeah... I guess you could say that." I said.

"Well, J.I.N Corp has been messing around with him. The serum that was used on him is an enhanced form of what caused the outbreak. SCP-150 Mutamagenic. Though the effect of it isn't nearly as bad as the original form of the serum, It still managed to target his mindset and corrupt his judgement. He's gone rabid... His physical strength has increased seventy five percent, his mind's processing speed has increased forty percent and his prototype abilities we're enhanced." Blake spoke.

"The how am I still alive after fighting him head to head?" I asked.

"I'm not sure. What I am sure of is that if he wanted you dead...then you... wouldn't be here right now…" Blake spoke, grimly. He shook his head. "I'm straying off topic. The point is, John is looking for that kid and given his past with kids as of late, I don't think I trust him." Blake said.

"Ok...So what does this have to do with me?" I asked.

"You and the kid grew accustomed to each other. I believe that it would be best if you went to go see him. We need him to stay close by so on behalf of the AoF, I want you to keep him under your watch until then." Blake said.

"What?! I'm not being a damn parent!" I said. "Plus, I don't have any real way of taking care of him."

"Relax Chase. We already thought of that. He's staying with with his new adoptive family that live in a neighborhood not too far from here. He'll be taken care of but you'll have to serve as a temporary bodyguard." Blake said.

"Who are the people he's living with?" I asked.

"The Wilsons. They're good people. They'll give him the childhood that he deserves. They've already got two kids so they have experience. All you gotta do is be his guard." Blake said.

"Well, alright. I guess that it won't be all that bad. I accept the task. When do I go to see him?" I asked.

"You'll leave out to go see the kid in about a week." Blake said.

"Sounds good to me." I told him. I really didn't expect to see Kevin so soon let alone at all. I wonder how he's been holding up lately.

-In a relatively close neighborhood-

(KEVIN'S POV)

"Are you sure this is a good idea? I mean, I know that it's stuck up in a tree, but I think we need to get help." Said a kid next to me. The boy's blue eyes locked on to me with worry. I walked over to the large tree and stared at it. "Dude, you're insane!" He said with his hands in his jet black hair.

"I'm fine. I can handle this easily." I said back to him. My orange and black hoodie swayed with the winter wind. I was climbing up the tree with courage that I knew I had. I leapt up and clasped my hands onto another branch and pulled. "C'mon Tobi! Just shimmy over to me." I said to the small black cat. She meowed a response and slowly crawled backwards. "No! Come to me!" I growled. I reached my hand forward in hopes of grabbing the feline. Once my hand reached it, I pulled it into my grasp and hopped down. I handed the cat to my adopted brother. You know, for a family of four, you guys really do lose your cat way too often." I said.

"It's not all that bad. She usually just comes back to the house." He said back to me. We head down the street towards the house.

The purred as I scratched the top of her head. Once we got to our block, we saw a group of older kids walking over to us. They were there fifth and sixth graders. Apparently they enjoyed terrorizing the younger kids that went to our school.

One of the kid that was wearing a blue hoodie grinned. "Well would you look at what we have here. David Wilson and uh…What's your name again?"

"Kevin…" I spoke.

"Hold up Drew. Ain't he the new kid in our school?" Asked a taller kid with a black hat on.

"Shut the hell up Ricky! I know that already. He's the little orphan kid." Drew said. He stepped towards us and glared. "Alright! Little David knows the routine. Since you're new, we're gonna give the starter pack!" He said slamming his fist into the palm of his hand.

"...What does that mean?" I asked David.

He sighed. "It means that we're gonna get our butts kicked for being second graders…"

"...But I don't want to get my butt kicked." I said to him.

"You don't get to make that choice." Ricky said as he cocked his fist back and swung it across my face, sending me to the floor.

"Kevin!" David crouched down to check my bruising face. "Are you good, dude?"

"My face hurts!" I shouted with irritation.

When I looked up, I saw David catch a boot to the face. I glared daggers at the older kids. I got up and threw a swing at the first guy that I saw. It was a kid in a white tank top. My fist dropped him straight to the floor. His nose was bloody and he had tears in his eyes.

"You little bitch!" Ricky shouted. He jabbed me in the chest, leaving me gasping. I regained my senses and kicked Ricky in the nuts. He dropped to his knees and held himself.

"How you like that?!" I asked, tauntingly.

I ended up getting tackled and ganged up on. I got stomped out and kicked by multiple kids. I looked over from my spot on the floor and saw David smack a kid in the back of the head with a large stick. The kid spun around and buried his fist into David, dropping him to the pavement. He help his eye as he cried out in pain. All I could do was watch as I continued to get my but whooped.

-Later That Day-

David and I opened the door to our house. He practically carried me the whole way home. I had gotten pretty roughed up within the last hour. Not gonna lie, it hurt. I had a busted lip and a ton of bruises. My legs were sore and I was pretty lightheaded. David was in better shape than me but suffered a black eye. He walked me to our shared bedroom and placed me down gently on my bed.

"I'm gonna go get us the ice packs." He said. I nodded to him and dwelled on my the incident that took place. I was upset at the situation. I wanted to beat them all to the ground. That's what Mr. Chase would do. He was the coolest. He didn't take crap from anyone. The way he fought those freaks was so awesome. He even managed walked me to safety with a leaking, severed stub of an arm. He was so amazing. Just the thought of being tough like him made me feel determined.

I looked at my bedside table and opened it. I picked up the sleek, silver gun. I flicked my wrist to the side and snapped it open just like how Mr. Chase did. I looked at the singular bullet inside of the gun. He told me to only shoot a gun in emergencies. I will stand by his words. I trust him and his judgement. He's done so much for me so I refuse to go against his statements. I closed the gun and placed it back into the bedside table. David walked back to the room with the ice packs in his hand. He handed me one and plopped down on his matress.

"Thanks…" I said.

"No problem. I'm sorry you had to deal with the Drew crew. He and his gang always pick on the younger kids. It kinda sucks. They tend to mess with me more than anyone else. I guess it's because I'm kind of a loser." David said with a sad chuckled.

"You gotta stand up for yourself dude. You gotta show those bullies that you're not a wimp!" I said to him.

"How can I? Look at what they did to us!" David responded.

"So what if we got trashed? They ain't got squat on us if we fight with one of these!" I said showing him the gun that I kept hidden.

"What the heck?! Why do you even have that?!" He asked with panic.

"A super cool secret agent gave it to me. I'm now a part of the...uh…" I read the engraving on the barrel of the gun. "The...AoF!" I said.

"AoF?" He said confused.

"Yeah it's...The Agents of Freedom! They're kinda like the best." I said.

"Woah...and you're one of them?! That's amazing!" David praised.

"Yep. I am pretty awesome." I said.

As we were talking, the door knob began turning slowly. I quickly threw the gun into the table and closed it. David's mom came inside. "Are you boys ready to eat? Dinner is just about ready." She said.

"Uh...Yeah mom... Dinner sounds great." David said.

"Are you two alright? You look hurt." She said.

"We're fine mom. We were just playing... football." David lied.

"Right…" She said with distrust. "We'll go wash up and come downstairs you guys. Your father and sister are waiting for you both before eating."

"Alright mom. We'll be down there in a second." David told her. She nodded and walked out of the room.

David looked at me with a serious expression. "Listen dude...Can you let me into the agency? That would be so cool. I'd never have to be worried about being a loser again." He asked with a cheerful expression.

"Uh... I dunno. I have to ask my higher ups for permission before I start recruiting others into the agency." I said to him.

"Aww man. Well, you get back to me on that." David said to me.

"I gotchu bruh." I said back.

We washed up and headed downstairs to eat dinner. We took a seat the table and waited for our plates. Mr. Wilson was reading a newspaper quietly to himself. To the right of him was a little black haired girl with eyes as blue as the rest of the family. She was my adoptive little sister, Brielle. Even though she was only five, she was terrifyingly intelligent for her age. Not only that, but she was also extremely shy. She still had yet to warm up to me being here, and I had been here for about a few weeks now.

Mrs. Wilson handed us our food. Steak, mashed potatoes and green beans. I enjoyed her cooking. Living here made me feel like my life was normal again. I loved eating actual meals instead of surviving off of scraps and lot with my...big sister. That thought made me feel a pang in my chest. It hurt to think about her. When she killed herself...it made me feel like I wasn't good enough to keep her around. I wish that things could've been different. Had Mr. Chase not been there, I would have probably done the same thing to myself…

I ended up picking at my food with a sad expression. I had suddenly lost my appetite. I could feel my family's eye on me. I knew right off the bat what they were gonna ask.

"What's the matter, Kevin? Something wrong with the food?" Mrs. Wilson asked.

"No…It's not that...I love your food. I just lost my appetite is all." I said sadly.

"What's on your mind, squirt?" Mr. Wilson asked.

"I was just thinking about my sister. I don't know if you know or not, but I'm a survivor of the Atlanta outbreak. I'm alive today because of a brave man named Mr. Chase. He looked after me and protected me. Even at the cost of his life. I got separated from him after he got me to an army camp. I owe him my life. I never got to thank him for everything he did for me." I said.

"...Dude…" David muttered sadly.

"Oh, sweetie. I'm sure he's fine. Who knows, maybe you'll see him again." Mrs. Wilson said to me as she hugged me.

"He has to be. He said that he'd be right behind me…He said that he would watch over me when...when...Mariam died...he promised that he'd be there…" Tears spilled down my face. I hated crying more than anything else. It wouldn't bring back my mom, it wouldn't bring back Mariam and it wouldn't bring back Mr. Chase.

"I'm sure he's ok Kevin. He seems like a nice guy, but I'm pretty sure he'd want you to be happy. You have to think ahead. You'll see him again one day." She said.

"Ok…" I mumbled. I really didn't like these random waves of emotional baggage. It would flood my consciousness like a tidal wave.

After dinner, David and I headed upstairs to bed. Only problem was, I couldn't get any sort of sleep. My mind kept racing with the thoughts of what happened before things went...in Mr. Chase's words...fuck shit crazy. Everything just went insane. My life before the outbreak used to be so simple. Living with my mom, my uncle and my big sister. The memory of mom smashing the frying pan across uncle Mark's skull after being bitten...seeing Mr. Chase kill my mother in order to save me and Mariam... seeing Mariam's lifeless corpse in the bathroom...It was all one big shitfest! Unfortunately, I had to live with these realities. They were gone. Mrs. Wilson was right. I do need to look ahead...and I'm gonna start by making sure I don't lose this family too!

I looked over to my sleeping friend...my new brother… "Don't worry anyone more David. I'll keep you all safe. I swear it on everything."


	64. Remember Me

**Chapter 64**

(CHASE'S POV)

~ ** _WHACK_** ~

~ ** _WHOOSH_** ~

~ ** _WHAM_** ~

I wiped the droplets of sweat from my forehead. I had been punching the shit outta the heavy bag for about three hours now. Needless to say, I was exhausted. Blake had recommended that I trained my body more intensely. The past three days have been brutal as all living hell. I had pushed myself both physically and mentally. Had a couple of kick ass fights with some goons. And did I mention that I still only had one arm?! Yeah, I am a fucking badass.

I walked outside of the fight gym that I went to. Fight Firm Fighting Center down by Fifth avenue. I got a whole membership and everything. I felt amazing. Everything in life was going so well lately. I love when shit works out.

It was late and I was starving so I decided to take a stop at a nearby Wendy's. Before I could enter the place, I could hear the sounds of thrashing behind the Wendy's and in an alleyway. Me being me, I decided to investigate. Once I walked back there, my eyes widened, mouth agape.

"Fuck you, asshole! I already told you that I'm not giving you shit!" Said a familiar redhead chick.

"And I already told you to spread em! You know... unless you want me to skin ya alive wit me teeth." The creepy ass guy in a brown trench coat and a fedora said. "Now why don't we start off low? I nominate you to go first."

The man reached out and grabbed the redhead and forced her against the brick wall. I grit my teeth and ran up to the bastard. I socked him straight in the jaw. He collapsed to the floor and held his bruised chin.

"Spread that shit, bitch!" I said to him. I turned to the girl that gave me a surprised look. "Uh...You good?" I asked.

"I...You...Chase…Am I correct?" She asked.

"Yes...and you are..?"

"So you don't remember me either…" She said sadly.

"I'm pretty lost so if you could maybe enlighten me a little bit." I said to her.

"I'm Zoey…You know... Masha's best friend." She said. I always thought that Nina was her best friend... Good to know.

"Oh right. Last time I saw you was at the mall when Blake...Oh...Damn, my bad." I muttered.

"It's whatever... I don't even care about him anymore." She said with slight hostility.

"Right...So what's up with this dickhead?" I asked her.

"Him? He pestered me to take a drink that he bought. The dumbass clearly didn't see me look dead at him as he spiked it." She snarled. I couldn't blame her.

"Fucking hell. People are a bunch of twisted fucks." I said to her.

"..." She stayed quiet which left me uneasy.

"Did I say something wrong?" I asked.

"Why did you even step in? Either way, I would've been able to handle it." She muttered.

"I dunno... Something about shit going batshit crazy in alleyways really bothers the hell outta me." I told her. "Plus... I'd have to be a fucking pussy to just watch someone else get hurt."

"Listen Chase...I appreciate your concern, but you literally don't know a damn thing about me, so you don't have to play hero right now. You don't even know why I was with him in the first place." She said.

"Look...uh...Zoey, I've done some fuck shit recently. If that's what's going on then just know that you've got people that love you and want to help you. Masha told me about how you just went absent. She misses you and I'm pretty sure that Nina and...uh…"

"May…" She finished for me.

"Right...and May miss you as well. So just take a step back and chill." I directed.

"Unfortunately, I can't afford to relax at the moment." She muttered.

"Why? What do you mean?! You have to help me understand!" I said, starting to get annoyed with the evading responses.

"No! I don't have to tell you a damn thing! It's not like it matters whenever I speak up anyway!" She suddenly shouted.

"What is your fucking issue?!" I snapped back losing my temper.

"You wanna know my issue?! It's with you and your little group of ignorant, happy jackasses misfits! Each of you... Always seem so content with each other...and here I am. Just alone and nothing but a petty ass criminal!" She said with a glare.

"Zoey-" I started.

"No Chase! You know what hurts even more? Seeing all my friends running around with their oh so amazing knights in shining armor. I swear, it doesn't make sense to me! May gets Blake, Nina gets that rich playboy, and Masha gets your forgetful ass!" Zoey shouted at me.

"How the hell am I forgetful?!" I asked.

"Well for starters, you somehow can't ever seem to remember anybody from your past! If you could, then you'd be able to recognize both me and Masha from when we were all kids!" She spat back.

"Hold on...WHAT?! Don't tell me that I met you on that damn playground too…" I said face palming myself.

"Not you dumbass! You met Masha on the playground. You met me in St. Mercy Children's Hospital." She said.

"... Yeah I'm still drawing blanks…" I muttered.

She groaned with aggravation. "Try to remember! You helped me more than you know." She said. "Please make an attempt to understand!"

"I'm trying! Damn…" I closed my eyes and tried to unlock another fragment of my shattered memory. I dug deep and made an attempt to remember that hospital as a kid.

"I'm... I'm...still lost right now…" I said.

"GODDAMNIT CHASE!" She grabbed the collar of my shirt and stared me dead in the eye. "Re-fucking-member!"

I stared back at her with wide eyes. Her face was so familiar but I just couldn't remember.

"It's still not working…" I said with a shrug.

"FUCKING HELL! I can't believe that you're going to make me do this." She said flustered. Her cheeks grew a deep shade of red that was visible at night.

"W...What are you doing?" I asked.

She took off her black jacket, leaving her in a white tank top that had faded red splatters and streaks that stained it. That wasn't the thing that surprised me though. When I saw her arms, I lost my nerve.

"That's right...Take a good look. This is you. This is all you, goddamnit! This is what you do to me...what you did to me…" She said.

"I did that..?" I asked.

"No...but also yes at the same time…" She murmured.

"What does that mean?" I asked.

She stared at me with a look of sorrow. "I did this to myself...every now and then, I lose myself. When that happens...I just... I can't help myself." She started tearing up.

I stared at the old and new scars on her arms. Some were still bleeding wet. "Zoey...You gotta cut that shit out. How is cutting yourself helping?!" I said.

"I don't mind it. The feeling...the rush of pain excites me…I don't know why but I love it so much. It's like a drug and I can't get enough of it. It all started when you left me all alone at that hospital. I felt like shit. My life felt so empty without you in it Chase." She said through pained sobs.

"I don't understand. You can't just do that!" I said with concern.

"Chase... It's all because of you. Everytime I do this, I start to think about you and then I just, I can't! Fuck you, Chase! You're making this harder than I thought! Just remember and you'll get it!" She huffed.

"You think I'm not trying?! This is fucking hard as hell!" I said, frustrated.

"You remembered playing with Masha...so why can't you remember something that happened after that day?" She asked.

"I don't FUCKING know! The last day I played with Masha was the last day I was legitimately happy. Everything after that was a fucked up mess that I try my ass off to forget." I said.

"Try to remember just this once. It's important to me and it'll give you helpful information. I promise." She said, desperately. "I'm gonna try one more thing that could help you remember. Do you trust me?"

"No…" I said plainly. She glared at me. "I'm joking... partially."

She rolled her eyes and grabbed my one arm. "I forgot to ask, what happened to your other arm?"

"Chopped it off with a katana in order to save myself from a burning car that was in the middle of outbreak Atlanta." I said casually.

"Oh...Well it's a good thing that you still have your left arm. That makes things easier for me." She said while rolling up my sleeve.

"How so..?" I asked.

She quickly pulled out a small pocket knife and looked at me.

"Simple. I'm gonna do what we did in the hospital." She said.

"What did we do in the hospital?!" I asked, getting nervous.

"We decided to mark ourselves. So that we'd remember each other forever…"She said. I now felt like complete shit. Good job Chase...

She looked deeply at the scar on my shoulder. I kinda forgot about it all these years.

"Oh...I won't lie to you... I had no idea what the hell this mark on my shoulder was." I said.

"You managed to forget a "Z" shaped scar on your shoulder?! You really are forgetful." She shook her head.

"Well what are you gonna do with that knife?" I asked.

"I'm gonna mark you again so that you'll feel the same sensation that I feel" she said.

"Fucks no! I'm not about that cutting shit." I said.

"Chase, you did it when you were a little kid...I'm sure you can handle it now." She said.

"Okay, let me get something straight with you. I was a depressed little freak that was just about ready to die when I lost my parents. I almost killed myself a couple of times. All my life I've struggled with depression. It was a whole lot of pain and darkness but I got away from that hell...Well at least I think I did…" I said to her.

"So was I Chase. You and I were more alike than you know. In that hospital...when you and I were alone together, you made me feel comfortable with myself. I had my demons and I felt so ashamed because of my faults but your encouraging words got me to a better path. Please remember. I want you to see who I am. I want you to remember what we were...what we could've been…" She muttered.

"What? Wait...Are you hitting on me? You know I'm with Masha, right?" I said while taking a step back.

"I know you prick! That's not my intention. I just don't want you to leave me alone again." She whispered in my ear.

I stared at her for a few seconds. Her sad face…Her bright eyes...the cuts! What the hell Chase?! How can't I remember?! St. Mercy Children's Hospital...last time I went there was when Mickey saved me from my suicide attempt.

Pictures were starting to form in my head.

The hospital...room 309...all the bloodshed...all the tears...The little black haired girl! I was starting to recall that night in the hospital.

-FLASHBACK-

Blood...it was all over the place...but why? What happened?! Last thing I remembered was being laid out on the bathroom floor, bleeding out. Now I'm in a hospital bed covered in blood. The lights were flickering which gave a sense of creepiness and dread. I walked out of my room and stared at the bloody mess that surrounded me. Bodies of doctors and nurses were scattered throughout the halls. Regardless of what I was staring at, I was oddly calm. I wasn't disturbed by the carnage surrounding me. I simply didn't care.

I heard some noise coming from the floor above me, so I walked up the bloody stairs and down the gore filled hall. I followed the trail of death to a slightly opened door. Loud bangs could be heard from the other side of the door. I slowly opened it and watched as a girl that looked my age was repeatedly bashing a man's face into a filing cabinet. The man was long since dead but I guess she was just letting out some anger.

I walked up behind her and tapped her shoulder. "You look like you're having a good time with that…"

"What?! Oh, you're that boy I saw earlier. You were still asleep so I decided not to wake you up." She said as she dropped the corpse to the floor.

"You do all this?" I asked.

"Not ALL of it. You had your fair share of casualties…" She responded.

"The heck are you talking about? I wouldn't kill these people! That's freaking insane!" I said.

"You were an animal out there. When you stabbed that one nurse in the eye with that needle, I almost fainted. I didn't know a blondie like you had enough balls to kill like that." The black haired girl chuckled.

"Quit playing! I didn't murder those people!" I shouted.

"Look at your clothes! That ain't your blood." She smirked.

"The heck is wrong with you?! This was you! You're the psycho chick! I'm not a freak like you!" I said. She dropped her smirk and gave me a distant look. I started to slowly back away as she stepped forward, up until I hit a wall.

She picked up a scalpel that was on a discarded medical tray and held it to my neck. "You know... I shouldn't even be here right now. I should be dead…but unfortunately, God hates me enough to leave me on this planet all alone. When those men showed up at my house and killed my mom and dad, I wanted to die with them. Now they're gone...and I'm still here." She said.

"So you slaughtered everyone?!" I asked.

"Like I said, You had your fair share of kills. Plus, I left you alive." She giggled.

"Why?" I asked.

"A few different reasons. Reason one, your cause of injury. When I heard that you attempted to end yourself, I was taken by surprise. Reason two, that empty look in your eyes. You still have that look of bleak nothingness. It's the look that I often have. Reason three, watching another kid kill like a hundred people is pretty fun to watch."

"You're freaking nuts!" I said, forgetting that I could no longer back away.

"Don't you see? We're both two crazy bastards that are all alone in this world. We're broken and isolated and yet here we are. Together at last. I'm death and you're sorrow. We can keep killing...as a team." She said.

"... I... I don't know…" I said uneasily.

"Don't you wanna taste the savory flavor of blood from everyone that wrongs you? Or the blood of those you crave for?" She asked as she sliced across my cheek with the scalpel. Blood slowly dripped down the left side of my face. It wasn't a deep cut so I knew it wouldn't leave a scar. It only drew a little blood.

"..." I stayed silent.

"C'mon... I know deep down that you want to feel the rush. The feelings of sadism and masochism. I love both so much. To feel pain and then give it to others... it's amazing." She said before licking the blood off of my face. I stayed paralyzed from the contact.

"W...why did you just..?" I stuttered.

"You taste so good. The blood of someone that's scornful. You hate life and yet you still have a need to live. Why is that?" She asked.

"...I have to kill a certain group of people. Once I get my revenge, then I can die. Not a moment before. That's why I failed to kill myself. It's a sign from my family. I have to find their murderers." I said, grimly.

"So you want their blood?" She asked.

"Yes...I do…" I grumbled with a little uncertainty.

"I see…" She spun the scalpel in her hands and stabbed the top of her shoulder. I watched the crimson liquid spill from her wound. An odd smile decorated her face. "Go on ahead and have a taste of vindication." She grabbed the back of my head and pulled my face into her bloody wound. My mouth filled with the strong, metallic taste of her blood. My mind was racing and my heart rate increased. My vision grew blurry and I was getting drowsy. I couldn't process much of anything at the moment.

She pulled my face away and stared at me with a nerve-racking grin. "Do you feel it? The pain that I have endured. That's the blood of someone who's alone in this cruel world we live in. That is our blood..." She spoke.

"...No…" I said quietly.

"What?" She questioned.

"I said no... I may have lost a lot...but I'm not completely alone yet. I've still got my uncle and my friend from the other night." I said defiantly. "I might be a depressing bum right now, but I still have things to do. I'm not alone yet...and neither are you." I told her. She narrowed her eyes at me.

"I don't have a family! I lost them all! You're lucky to have an uncle!" She said with tears of frustration.

"You may not have any family...but you do have a friend." I hugged her gently. " I'm your friend now. You're not lonely if you've got somebody." I took the scalpel from her hands and carved a "C" into her shoulder. She winced a bit but took the pain effortlessly. "There. A "C" for Chase. Now you do me." I said.

"She carved a "Z" into my left shoulder and smiled. "Okay…"Z" for Zoey." She said happily.

"Cool. Now when we walk outta this place, we can still remember each other." I said.

"Thanks Chase. I won't forget this. You'll be the first friend I've ever had!" She smiled at me.

"Look out for yourself. I'm not much of a friendly person but you kinda get me so...don't make me regret this." I said.

She nodded. "We should probably leave. The cops are on their way here. Apparently someone snitched before I could get to them."

"Right...Well keep this whole thing to ourselves." I said before turning around and getting ready to walk outta the room.

"Chase wait!" I stopped and turned around to look at her.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Will we ever see each other again? I don't want to say goodbye to you when we just became friends." She said while looking down.

"Then don't say goodbye." I grinned for the first time in days. "I'll catch ya later." I said to her.

She looked up and smiled at me. "Right... I'll catch ya later."

-FLASHBACK END-

I opened my eyes and looked at her as she hugged me tightly. "I haven't seen you in so long. That day I saw you and your friends at the mall...it was overwhelming. I wasn't even sure if you were who I thought you were until Masha told May, Nina and I about you. It hurt so much to be so close to you and have you not even recognize me." She said.

"Not like you made it easy with the red hair." I said.

"Still... I wanted to see you so badly...but I lost you." She sniffled. "Be honest with me...Did you ever even think about me?" She asked.

"Well yeah...for about a year...Then things started to change in my life. I made more friends and did new things. So far, these last few months have been the most hectic for me personally. I don't even know where to start." I said to her.

"Chase…" She mumbled into my shirt.

"What is it?" I asked.

"...Do you love Masha?" She asked.

"Well yeah...Why do you ask?"

"Because when I first met her, all she'd talk about was a boy that gave her a hat and a hoodie. Until a few weeks ago, I didn't know it was the friend that I lost." She looked me in the eye. "You love her...but Chase... seeing you here right now. So different…So matured, so bold, so... confident. You've really changed yourself and that made you strong. I hate myself so much for feeling the way I do right now...but Chase…"

"...No…" I said to her.

"W...what?" She asked shakily.

"Don't do it. I can't handle what you're about to say. Don't…" I told her.

"Chase, I've been holding on to this for so long. I have to get this off my chest." She said.

"It won't help you. It's only gonna ruin things between us all." I said.

"I'm sorry Chase...but I can't help it. I don't want anyone else. I want the man that knows the pain that I went through. I can't just let this slide by. All of these cuts are to remind me of the sensation you gave me when you marked my shoulder." She gripped her shoulder tightly and her breathing began to intensify.

"Zoey... Please don't do this." I said to her.

"WHY?!" She screamed. "Tell me why I deserve this?!"

"If you say those three goddamn words... I'll fuck up right there with you. I love Masha but I also want to see you stop hurting your goddamn self!"

"You're saying that you love Masha, but goddamnit Chase I love you!" She yelled.

"..." My blood went cold.

"This waiting... It's torture. Hoping to see you again only made me crave you more. Ever since I saw you at the mall and finding out who you were, I couldn't stop…" She started laughing hysterically. "Every time I thought about you, I had so many fantasies about you and me. Standing over the place with blood on our clothes. I wanted you so bad that I'd fucking touch myself every time you came to my mind."

My glare faltered and I averted my gaze to the floor. "Zoey…"

"I'm a fucking mess Chase. I'm jealous of my best friend because she's with my first friend. I know I'm wrong for that but I can't help myself. I care about Masha but you...You drive me nuts!" She kept going. Her face was wet with tears. "Chase...I have to know...do you love me? Can you love me? I have to know if I'm wasting my time or not."

"Zoey... Listen closely. I know that I fucked a lot of shit up. You shouldn't have been one of those fuck ups. I know you've been waiting for me...but I can't do Masha like that. Not after we just got together." I said.

"So that's it…My efforts are wasted…" She muttered.

"Don't think of it like that. I want you both to be happy." I said.

"Masha is the only one of us that's happy. Chase, I'm done for…You were my only real motivation left for living. What you're doing to me right now... You're breaking me even further…" She said.

My eyes looked down at the light shimmering in her hand. I soon noticed that it was the pocket knife. As she went to stab herself, I quickly grabbed her arm and pinned her against the wall.

"Zoey don't!" I shouted. My hand, tightly gripping her arm.

"Why not?! First you turn my confession down, then you won't even let me die?! Why Chase?!" She asked in a broken voice. "Why are you doing this to me?"

"Because you're still my friend! I care about you!" I growled.

"Stop Chase…" She began to shed a few more tears. "Stop…"

"You're my friend and I'll do whatever it takes to keep you alive!"

"Stop... You've said enough already…" She sobbed.

What the fuck! What was I supposed to do?! I want to keep her alive but... I also don't want to lead her on with a strand of false love. I had given myself to Masha already. I practically knew little to nothing about Zoey aside from the fact that she's somehow more mentally and emotionally damaged than I am. I was at a loss. I need to think about the bigger picture here. This is a life we're talking about! I need to talk to Masha about this. As for now... I guess I'll just have to play towards Zoey's interests.

I tightened my grip on her arm until I heard her whimper. "Shut...the fuck...up!" I hissed before smashing my lips against hers. After a few seconds, she ended up kissing me back. I dropped my one arm and supported her waist with it. Using the wall for support, she wrapped both of her arms and legs around me.

With each passing second I felt more and more disdain for myself. I hated doing this behind Masha's back and if she saw me before I could explain myself, she'd rip my dick off, freeze it and stab me with it. Fuck me dude…

Zoey was rubbing herself against me and she forced her tongue in my mouth. This was so much different from any other kiss I've had. Karren's would be quick and tender, Beth's was wet and deep, Sonna's was light and sweet, and Masha's was long and passionate. This kiss was something else though. The way she clung to me as if she didn't want me to ever leave. This kiss held a lot of built up pain and suffering. It was sloppy and desperate, yet at the same time...therapeutic. I would never kiss Masha this way. I feared that if I let out this much emotion, I'd scare her off or ruin the moment. With this, I felt more aggressive, and less restraint. This kiss was wild and for whatever reason, I found it comfortable. This was a form of catharsis that I needed. I truly did. Too bad the whole situation was bittersweet as all living hell. I wasn't doing this out of love or affection. I was doing this out of sympathy, desperation to save a life and hope that this will all end well.

I pulled away and stared at her blushing face. "We shouldn't be doing this…" I muttered.

"Yes…" She said while kissing my jawline. I kissed her neck viciously, leaving a dark hickey on her soft skin.

"We really shouldn't be doing this…" I said again trying to break through to both her and myself.

"Yes…" She whispered in my ear.

"And if we are doing this, then we really shouldn't be doing it here." I said, easing my grip on her waist.

"Yes…" She lifted her tank top off and tossed it by her discarded jacket. She looked away from me with her flustered face. I couldn't help but stare at her black bra. Her chest was pretty nice...What The fuck am I thinking!

Assuming that she wanted me to tread further, I buried my face into chest. She hugged my face as she gasped out. I licked her skin and kissed in between.

"We gotta stop…" I said. I moved head away from her breasts and gave her a serious look.

"Please keep going." She pleaded.

"I can't... I've already done way to much as it is. You should put your shit back on."

"Just a little more…" She begged.

"N...no. I can't...I gotta go!" I while walking out of the alleyway and ran off. I checked the time on my phone and glared. "Shit! half past nine already…" I kept running while I dialed Masha's number.

"Hello? Chase, what's up?" She said. Her soft voice soothing me and parannoying me at the same time.

"Hey babe...Can we talk...like now?" I asked.

"... You're not horny again are you? Because I won't say no but-"

"What? No! This is important. I need to see your pretty ass face." I said frantically.

"Ok ok. Calm down. I'm at my apartment. You know what room so... I'll see you here." She said.

"Alright baby, I'll see you in a little bit." I said to her. "But before I do that, I need to take with Mickey about my missing arm..."

(MIDNIGHT'S POV)

"Milton…" My father said sternly.

"Father...You sent for me so...What do you need?" I asked.

"As you know, your nineteenth birthday is tomorrow…" Father said.

"Yes father. I'm well aware of that." I said.

"This is also your last year of high school. You know that you are to take my place as the CEO of the one of the nation's biggest companies. This means that you will be responsible for our family's leading business. I have to know if you can handle such responsibilities." He continued.

"Dad I'll be fine. I'm ready for the responsibility. I can handle it." I said to him. My dad nodded his head and slid me a small box. I looked at it with a raised brow. "What's this?"

"Since you're ready to be handed the torch, I see fit that you should be the new man of the house. Your mother and I are forty three. With you now in charge of the company, we can now settle for retirement." He said.

I opened the box to see the main key to the Foyer Estate. This key opens every door on the property. Even dad's secret exclusive office on basement floor seven. Dad was the only one to have that key. He trusted NOBODY with it.

"But...Dad this is your special key…" I muttered to him. "This can open your office and everything... You're just giving it to me?"

"This is your home now. Your mother and I are moving to our beach side estate in Los Angeles California." He said.

"All the way out in LA?! That's literally across the country." I said to him.

"I'll be honest with you Milton. I know that your mother and I have been somewhat neglectful of you. We've missed about sixteen of your birthdays, missed your multiple school achievements, and all around failed to raise you like a proper father. For that, I am sorry. But seeing you now. You're about to leave highschool and take on the family business. I know I don't say it much, but I'm proud of you my son. It fills me with joy to see you buckling down and turning into a man. When I saw you with that girl...Nina, was it...I could see that you had matured. You're finally your own person!" He said.

"Dad…" I muttered.

"Hush now my son. Come here and let me hold you." He said.

I got up and walked over to him. I clasped his hand and he pulled me into his embrace. He hugged me tightly and smiled.

"D...dad…"

"Remember Milton...No matter how much you grow... I'll always love you. Both me and your mother. She wanted to be here but she's at her final meeting." Dad spoke.

"It's cool dad... Don't worry about it."

"You're a good boy Milton." He said. "I leave my trust in you."

"I won't let you down dad." I said to him.

"I know you won't...Your mother and will be finished packing by tomorrow. After we celebrate your nineteenth birthday, we'll be on our way." He said.

"Okay dad..."

"Well we're gonna head to the main building and go finish up a few things before I leave it in your hands."

(R'S POV)

I was sitting on my bed, texting my sister. Ever since we last met, she insisted that I text her instead of visiting them. I had a lot on my mind lately and I've been slowly struggling to contain my various thoughts.

Chipper hopped from the floor and onto my bed. I scratched under his chin and watched as he purred. I grinned at him. My phone started ringing all of a sudden. I picked it up and stared at the caller ID.

"Midnight? What does he want?" I asked myself. "Hope it's not more sex advice..."

I answered the phone and automatically Milton went on and on about him being the boss of his dad's company and him getting the mansion to himself.

"Bro, I gotta throw a huge party at my place! I need you to spread the word bro! The shit is finna be lit!" He said with excitement.

"Alright dude just relax already. I'll hit you up once I get the word out." I told him.

"Alright bro. I'll catch you later." Midnight hung up and I dropped my LG back on the bed.

"I might hang with Raven a little bit tomorrow. What do you think Chipper?" I asked my cat.

~Meow~

"...Thanks buddy..."


	65. Who Needs Saving

(R'S POV)

~SMASH~

I buried my fist into my target's skull, splattering his brains all across the floor. I flicked the wet blood off of my gauntlet and grinned as three bodyguards were sent crashing to the floor with slit throats spilling blood to the floor, courtesy of Raven. I looked back at her and smirked.

"Wow...That was pretty brutal." I said to her.

"Tell that to the man with a fist sized hole through his head." She said back.

"...Good point…"

Before we could exit the junkyard, three pickup trucks came crashing through the gates. All three were equipped with 50. Cal machine guns. The men aimed at us with a killing intent. I jumped in front of Raven and blocked the oncoming bullets with my cloak.

Once they seized fire, Raven wasted no time lunging forward and decapitating to men in one of the vehicles. I pounded the ground with my gauntlets and sent another truck flying. The last pickup truck came swerving towards Raven. She grinned as it came closer. She promptly picked up a long, thin, steel pipe and threw it like a javelin. The pipe shattered through the windshield and through the man's trachea. The truck swerved to the left, barely avoiding Raven and slammed into a heap of junk.

I walked up to her and smiled. "Guess we're all done here." I said to her.

She nodded in response. "Guess so. Tony savage must've called in the cavalry prior to our arrival."

"He didn't account for us to be a kick ass duo. Sucks for him." I said. Raven sat down on a stack of tires. She had a forlorn look on her face. "What's up Rave?"

"It's nothing...it's just that Shawn is being kind of secretive. I know he's hiding something but he won't spill it." She said with an aggressive tone.

I wanna tell her...but Shadow will chop my ass off! Damn!

"I'm sure he's just looking out for you." I said.

"I know you're trying to help R, but we both know that's bullshit." She said.

"Look, just forget it. If he won't tell me then I just won't tell him shit anymore." She huffed.

"Don't you think that's a little rash?" I said.

She glared at me. "No! He can be and asshole! I bet he tells Beth every fucking thing in the goddamn world!" She yelled.

"..." I was low-key terrified

"Fuck it! I'll just start doing whatever the hell I want." She growled. She scared me when she got like this.

-At the HQ-

"R…" Raven called to me.

"Yo!" I replied.

"You up for a little lazer tag with me?" She asked, going back to her regular attire.

"Huh? Oh...No can do. I promised Midnight that I'd help him out with...Well I'm still not sure what the hell he wants." I told her.

"Oh...Right, sorry…" She said, slightly downcast. I could tell that she was still pissed.

"...You alright? I could see what time he needs me to-" She raised her hand to signal me to pause.

"Go do your thing. I'll just give my friends a call." She said with a light smile. I could tell it was covering up her anger.

"Uh...Okay. I text you later." I said, quickly hugging her. She kissed me aggressively leaving my lips bruised. Yep she was pissed.

" See ya later." She said to me before I started heading off.

(CHASE'S POV)

"Shit!" I growled with hostility. I reached for my Arsenal but was quickly denied when eight different guns were pointed at me all at once. "Fucking bastards…"

"Have a seat Mr. Hawthorne…" A icy voice said to me. "Make yourself comfortable…"

"The fuck do you want with her?!" I asked the prick angrily.

"Aww...The little shit actually cares about the well being of my daughter…" The man with the familiar face said to me with a smirk on his face.

"Answer my question!" I shouted.

"She's a weapon kid. One that hasn't been doing what she was intended to." The man said.

"Fuck that bullshit! She doesn't want to be used for some sick prick's personal gain!" I snapped at him.

"You know nothing about her. Nothing but what she was made to believe. She was always a weapon. She just had little control over the way she wielded her abilities. She hasn't even begun to scratch the surface of the power that she possesses!" He chuckled.

"I will NOT let you take her away from me!" I hissed. I was losing what little patience that I had left.

"You truly are just like your father...Such a hot temper." The man smirked.

"Watch what the fuck you say!" I warned him.

"Dear child...Bless your young, naive heart. Charles Hawthorne used to glare at me just like that." The man said. "I miss that guy…"

"Shut up!"

"Oh well...The motherfucker is dead now. That's one less thing to worry about." The man said.

I lost my shit. I swiftly went Arsenal and quickdraw my two revolvers and in less than a half second, I shot down each armed thug. Leaving only me, the man and a tied up Masha.

"I'd expect nothing less from my number one enemy's son." He said whilst clapping his hands slowly. "Your father was brilliant. He was able to stop my plans up until his bitter end. You're his youngest son. I have high hopes for you."

"The fucks are you going on about?!" I asked.

"...Hmm...Do you still not remember me?" The man asked.

"No you asshole!"

"Think back to the night you were with the blonde woman. Some of you may have suffered a few burns…" He said.

My eyes widened. I remember him now. He was the Blaze guy that I had to fight...back when Karren was still alive. "No way...You can't be Masha's dad!"

"Kid, I can wield fire AND ice, ironically enough. She can use ice to a fair degree, but she can also use fire as well. Just like her dear old dad." He smirked.

"That doesn't matter!" I pointed my guns at him and glared. "I'm taking her back if it's the last thing I do!"

"Answer me this Chase...Who gave you permission to fuck my daughter?" H3 asked with a glare.

"She did, bitch!"

"Right...Follow up question. Can you handle being a father? The father of my soon to be grandchild?" He asked.

"The hell are you talking about?!" I asked.

"Nothing Chase. Just food for thought." He responded. He lunged forward and struck me in the gut with a harsh punch. I got up and glared at him. This was gonna get annoying. It truly was.

The bastard got up and grinned at me. "If you are in fact planning on getting in my way…" He run forward and stopped directly in front of me. "Then you'll die. Simple as that." He said before sending a flaming fist to my chest, causing me to slam back first into a brick wall.

"Heheh...I don't plan on dying just yet." I said to him as I slowly coughed up a bit of blood. I trusted myself out of the brick wall and materialized my assault rifle. I aimed it at him with precision.

"Oh do go on and shoot your pointless shots." Blaze taunted.

I unloaded an entire clip on the bastard on for them all to melt on his now glowing body. I took the safety off of the under barrel grenade launcher and fired off three. He waved his hand and froze the grenades mid flight.

"Fuck!" I grumbled with frustration.

"Come now Chase. What would dear old dad think about you?" He asked with a smirk.

"Shut the hell up!" I yelled while tossing a handful of shuriken at him. He dodged them and widened his already aggravating smirk.

"Consider that nerve touched." He said.

I materialized my katana and sprinted at him with a death glare. I swung furiously at him. He managed to dodge and parry my attacks with his frozen right hand. He slapped my sword away and grabbed me by the throat. He lifted my up and smirked.

"I...I won't die...Not yet!" I choked out.

"Assess your situation, boy. Your weapons don't work, and I've got you in my grasp. It's over kid." He said.

"No…" I quickly slid my goggles on and brought out a flash bang.

"...Motherfucker…" He muttered.

"Take it bitch." I said.

The flash bang went off in his face. My goggles protected my eyes but he dropped me in order to fix his sight. I spun low and sweeped his legs. I ran over to Masha and untied her with my katana.

"Chase!" She said happily.

"Damn straight! Now let's get the hell outta-"

~WHAM~

A large pillar of ice had slammed into me and sent me flying. I looked up to see Blaze glaring daggers at me.

"Nice little trick. I won't lie, it caught me off guard. Too bad it wasn't enough. " He said.

"Shit!" I shouted. I thought that it would buy me more time.

"Masha! You will fulfill your duty! You have a part to play in this little war on the streets." He said seriously.

"I'm not a part of your little faction! I refuse to be your tool for destruction!" Her eyes began to glow and she had a blue aura around her.

"Hmm...So you're choosing defiance over obeying your own father...Guess I have to convince you to come and join your family. Blaze launched a volley of ice spikes into my skin. I could tell that he intentionally missed my vitals but that didn't stop it from hurting like hell.

"Chase! What are you doing?!" Masha asked with concern.

"Whatever I must to convince you to come to my side." He aimed a finger at me and glared. "Last chance!"

"Don't go with him Masha!" I yelled.

"Silence yourself, boy!" He snapped at me. He looked back at Masha and raised.m a brow. "Decided! Does he live or does he die?"

"I'll go! Just leave Chase alone. Please!" She said.

"Good choice. Now...Let us depart." He said to her. He then look at me and narrowed his eyes. "Get in my way...and you'll be slaughtered."

"Eat a dick!" I said. Back to him as he forcefully grabbed Masha. She gave me a depressed look. I returned a determined look to her.

"Oh and Chase...Keep and eye out for Zeyco...He's been quite busy as of late." Blaze said.

As they departed, I began to lose consciousness. Before I passed out, I decided to send out a distress signal from my Arsenal.

(MIDNIGHT'S POV)

I just couldn't believe what I was seeing. This just didn't make sense. How could this even happen. I wasn't ready for this. I wasn't ready for me to lose anyone else. It just didn't make sense!

Police sirens flooded my ears. Sounds of an investigation going on in the background. The swarm of reporters and journalists constantly snapping pictures and barking questions at me. I couldn't answer them though. My mind went blank. My breathing slowed down. I was feeling uneasy.

"Hello Channel Eight News! I'm here in the south west branch of Times Square New York. I am currently standing in front of Foyer Foundries. Local bystanders have reported a murder on the former CEO and chairman of the illustrious company, Mr. Foyer and his wife. Both were gunned down and left dead in front of the juggernaut company. On the scene is the son of both victims and the heir to the Foyer company, Milton Foyer." The news reporter said.

For the corner of my eye, I could see R running over to me with a look of panic on his face. He pushed through the swarm of people.

"Holy shit Midnight!" He said.

"Chill out R." I said with malice. I stared down at the trail of blood on the floor with a broken look. I wasn't ready for this...I wasn't sure if I could handle this at all. I walked towards the corpses of my parents, ignoring the constant questions from the press. I stopped and stared at the two bodies with mixed emotions. "Who...Who and why…" I asked to myself.

A man with a brown trench coat and fedora came up to me. His coat was left unbuttoned, showing his bullet proof vest. "You Milton Foyer?" The man asked.

"...Yes...I am." I said distantly.

The man nodded. "Detective Dave Harper." The man shook my hand. "Forensic experts say the time of death was around three hours ago. The were gunned down by 9mm. hollow point rounds…"

"Sounds like a low life thug looking for a quick and easy robbery…" I muttered angrily.

"Maybe...But listen to this. The murderer also had access to some sort of electricity. The bullet wound show this. In other words, it wasn't the bullets alone that killed them...It was electrocution." The man said.

"Who has access to that type of weaponry?" I asked.

"Not sure. One thing we do know, is that the murderer intended to make a point." He said.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"He left this at the crime scene." Dave handed me a five hundred dollar bill. The thing that made my eyes widen was the "Z" written on it in blood. I crushed the bill in my hand and grit my teeth.

"The son of a bitch! I swear to god I'm gonna find that bloodthirsty piece of shit, and make him suffer!" I snapped.

"You know who did this?!" Dave asked.

"Yeah...and trust me. This guy is out of your hands." I told him.

"What? How so?" Dave asked.

"He's not human...He's some sort of freak. What was it...a fucking Prototype is was he called him and his brothers." I said through grit teeth.

"Well damn...How the hell is he gonna get taken down?" Dave asked.

"Simple...I'm gonna kill him myself." I said.

"Are you insane?!" R asked. "You can't fight him alone!"

"You're either with me or you're against me. Which is it R?" I asked.

"...Look...I'll help you...but just don't go doing something stupid." R said to me.

I nodded then looked towards Dave. "Thanks for the help detective. Your services will no longer be necessary." I told him.

"...Well alright then. You two gentlemen have a good night." He said.

R and I and nodded to him as he walked back to a police car. I looked at R with a hard expression. "I need to go back home and get some paperwork done. Now that my father is dead, I will put my best effort into this company. I refuse to let him down!" I walked over to my black Maybach s600 and got in the back seat. "Take care of yourself R. Keep your eyes peeled. If you see Zeyco at all, you let me know asap. Got it?" I asked.

"...Yeah…" He said.

"Good…" I started to roll up my window. "I'll hit you up later."

(KEVIN'S POV)

"It's over! You're done for!" I shouted at my foster brother.

"No! Kevin don't! Please!" David shouted back.

I loaded the gun and pointed it at him. "I'm sorry…"

~BANG~

"..." It was over. I had just killed David. Silence lingered. I felt bad but it had to be done. There was no way I was losing to him in COD again.

"You're a jerk!" He said, throwing the controller to the floor.

"Sorry bro...I needed the W. You understand, right?" I asked.

"Whatever…" He grumbled.

We walked out of our room and headed down stairs. Mrs. Wilson was on the couch watching the news.

"Oh my…" She said.

"What is it?" Mr. Wilson asked as he came into the living room holding a plate of pie.

"The Foyers seem to have been murdered by some unknown criminal. They were shot and killed in front of their own building." She answered.

"Jesus Christ. Such dastardly people in this world." Mr. Wilson said. "It's a darn shame. Nothing you can really do about that though."

I looked at David and pulled him back upstairs. "Dude! Do you know what this means?!" I asked him.

"...No…" He replied.

"If we go out and take down that bad guy, we'll be the heroes!" I said determined.

"Are you nuts?! How are we gonna hunt down a criminal? We're only in the fifth grade!" David said.

"Are you forgetting that I'm a secret agent? We can totally take that guy!" I told him.

"How are we even gonna find him? The murder happened all the way out in Times Square. Plus, the cops don't even know who did it!" David told me.

"Would you relax. I got it all under control!" I reassured him.

"So how are we gonna get there?" He asked.

"First, we're gonna get on the train. Then we're going to take a taxi. Once we get to the Foyer building, that's when we'll investigate. When we get a lead on the suspect, we'll take him down!" I said.

"Again...I ask you, HOW?!" He shouted.

"With this!" I said, while pulling out Mr. Chase's gun from the back of my pants.

"I thought you only had one shot."

"I do. One bullet is all it takes." I said with a grin.

David sighed. "You're gonna force me to go regardless of if I say no, aren't you?"

"Yep! Now let me get some of the cash that I saved up and we'll hit the road!" I told him.

"Where'd you get money from?!" David asked.

"School yard gambling. Those chumps suck at blackjack." I said.

-Three Hours Later-

(CHASE'S POV)

I had been located and taken back to HQ. I was currently inside of the infirmary. I had woken up a few minutes ago. I stayed silent given my uncomfortable situation. I wasn't sure what got her to come and save me but I was stuck in this retarded as bed giving her a hard look.

She sighed and sat at the edge of the bed. "You gonna mean mug me all night Chase?"

"Not like you're really good for much else these days…" I barked back at her.

"Listen to me Chase. I'm sick and tired of you avoiding me like I'm the fucking plague!" She growled.

"You did it first…" I muttered.

"Shut up! Don't talk...Just listen to what I have to say." She said.

"...Fine...I can't guarantee that it'll change anything." I said.

She sighed. "I want to start off by say that I'm sorry. What I did to you wasn't cool. I was just so happy to see Zeyco after so many long years. You have to understand! He was the first friend that I ever had. He meant the world to me. He still does...but now...he's corrupt. You may not have heard, but he killed Milton's parents six hours ago."

My eyes widened a bit. "You for real?! Damn...How's Milton holding up?"

"I don't know. R told me that he was going back home to handle paperwork. I don't know. My point is that Zeyco is outta control. He needs to be stopped Chase." She said.

"You think I don't know that?! Your "friend" damn near killed hundreds of people both on and waiting for a fucking train! He's insane!" I hissed.

"I know. That's why I've decided to kill him myself." She said.

"You're gonna kill him? How the hell are you gonna manage to do that?!"

"I don't know yet…" She muttered.

"Sounds like a good plan." I said, sarcastically.

She narrowed her eyes at me. "I want you to stay away from him Chase."

"HA! That's hilarious! Ain't no way in hell I'm letting that prick walk off without catching an asswhooping! We've got a score to settle!" I said as I clenched my fist. "That douche also has some info that I need and I plan on getting it!"

"No! I need you to stay back on this. Let me handle this." She said.

"No way! You not gonna keep protecting your little boyfriend from me! I'm kicking his ass next time we-" I paused my words and stared down at her as she hugged my torso.

"You can't! He'll kill you! You won't last against him Chase! He's so much stronger now! You'll get yourself killed. Just let me do it! Let me make up for how I hurt you." She sobbed into my chest.

"...Sonna...Why are you going through all of this? I don't understand you. When we first met, you wanted nothing to do with me. Then R came along and brought us together and we were cool. I'd even go as far as to say that we really had something. You and I were connecting and we were so close...until Zeyco came and pulled you away. Now that he's all fucked up...you're back in my arms again. Why?" I asked.

"You wanna know why? It's because you two are the only guys that make me have this weird feeling. I can't understand what or why it is, but I know that it's there. I couldn't decide which of you to choose. Zeyco was important to my childhood and I guess I never got over him leaving. You, were also important to me though. I hadn't met someone as headstrong yet as fragile as you. You suffered a lot but always kept it to yourself. In a way, you and Zeyco have that in common. You both suffer alone. That drew me to only want to easy your pain more...but instead, I only managed to add to it. For that, I'm sorry. I want to fix things anyway that I can. Me may not ever go back to being how we were for that little bit of time...but I want to at least try." She said a she moved her lips closer to mine. I turned my head and felt her soft lips peck my cheek.

"No...Not now...I can't abandon Masha. Not when she...SHIT! She needs me!" I shouted.

"I figured...Listen Chase, you need to relax. You're injured. You need to take a rest." She said.

"No! Every second I waste is another second that she could be getting hurt! I need to save her!" I said.

"What happened to her?" She asked.

"Blaze took her…" I said.

"The fire guy?" She asked.

"No...The earthbender…" I said sarcastically.

"Don't be a smartass." She hissed.

"He's her father...and he wants to make her a weapon." I said.

"...Chase, We'll get her back. You just gotta heal up first. You'll be absolutely no help whatsoever in your condition." She said.

I laid back and flopped on the hospital bed. "This sucks! John Tucker is being and asshole and creating a small militia, the Core, who has my brainwashed brother, out for my blood with due to the fact that they're my dad's killers, Zeyco is getting more hostile, Zoey who I've discovered to be a sociopath is trying to sleep with me, Milton's parents just died, and now Blaze has my girlfriend. Fuck life…" I growled. I wasn't kidding.

"Wait...Who's Zoey?!" Sonna asked.

"It's a long and somewhat fucked up story. Bottom line is, she's crazy and bloodthirsty as hell." I grumbled.

"Wow...just...wow." She muttered.

I slowly climbed to my feet and went Arsenal. "Sorry Sonna...but I'm not one for sitting on my ass and waiting for shit to change."

"Chase no! I won't let you go out there and get yourself butchered." She said while going Arsenal.

"Aww...Don't you trust me? I'll be fine. I'm not looking for a fight. I'm just going to go check out the crime scene." I said back to her.

"...Don't do something stupid. That's and order! You understand?!" She demanded with authority.

"An order? Who made you the boss?" I asked.

"Don't forget that I'm still your superior. I technically outrank you." She said.

"Psh...Whatever. I'm out!" I said leaving her standing in the room.

(KEVIN'S POV)

"WE MADE IT!" I shouted.

"I can't believe it...We really got to Times Square...How?!" David said with disbelief.

"With the power of persuasion. Now come on. The taxi driver said that Foyer Foundries was down past 47th street by the hotel." I told him.

Once we got to the front of the building, David and I stared at it with amazement.

"Whoa...this is a big building." David said.

"Yeah yeah yeah...it's cool and everything but we're here to find clues." I said.

David pulled out a small note pad. "I've got my handy dandy notebook." David grinned.

"And I've got my gun!" I said a little too happily.

"Let's find some clues!" We said in unison.

-Forty Five Minutes Later-

"THERE AIN'T DICK HERE!" I shouted with frustration.

"The cops probably took all of the evidence. " David said.

"Aww, but I wanted to kill a bad guy." I said, disappointed.

"Well...we should probably head back home before mom and dad find out that we snuck out the house."

"Fine...But we gotta get us a meatball hero!" I said with a grin. "There's a shop not too far from-"

~WOOSH~

"...Kevin...What was that?" David asked.

"I dunno. SHOW YOURSELF COWARD!" I shouted.

The shadowy figures came out and stared at the boy. "Kevin Gates. You'll be coming with us!" One of the mask men said.

"Who, me?! Yeah...I don't think so!" I shouted as I whipped out the gun and firing a shot into one of them. The man dropped to the floor with a hole in his forehead. "YES! I GOT ONE!"

"Yeah but there's still three left…" David said.

"Yeah...RUN!" I shouted while taking off in the opposite direction only to run into a fist.

"You killed Desmond! For that you will pay!" Another man said.

"The boss wants you alive. He never said not to fuck your little ass up." A woman said before roundhouse kicking me to the floor.

"Kevin!" David yelled. He ran and tackled the woman only to get kicked in the face. He held his nose and sobbed as it dripped blood.

"Time to see daddy, kid." A man said as he reach out and grabbed me.

"NO! LET ME GO!!!" I screamed and kicked.

~BANG~

Everything went silent. We all looked back and saw the silhouette of a man holding a gun to the sky.

"You heard the kid...Let him go!" The man said in a deep voice.

"Uh...No!" The Woman of the group pulled out a pistol and shot at the strange new figure.

The man dodged the gunfire and aimed his gun at her and fired two loud shots. Both in the head.

"Holy shit!" The man holding me said.

The other man glared and charged at the man with the familiar gun. His white trench coat swayed as he front flipped over the man. A long katana with a white hilt appeared in his left hand. He stabbed the man right through the back with the sword. The man collapsed in a growing puddle of his own blood.

The last man dropped me and made a break for it. The katana disappeared and was replaced with a long chain sickle. The man in white swung the chain sickle until it dug itself into the man's skull. The guy in white yanked it back towards himself, pulling off the man's head.

"THAT WAS AWESOME!!!" I yelled.

"A little much, don't you think?" David asked, still holding his nose.

"You kids alright?" He asked.

"Yeah! Thanks for the save!" I said.

The man stared at me with confusion. "Kevin?! What the hell are you doing here?!" The man said in a voice that I recognized. He dropped his deep voice all together.

"Mr. Chase?!" I said with shock.

He got outta his cool clothes and stared at me with confused blue eyes. "Answer the question!"

"We came to be heroes and solve the crime. You know...The guy who killed the Foyers." I said to him.

"What?! Have you lost your goddamn minds?!" He barked.

"I brought a gun…" I said showing him his old revolver.

"...That thing only had one bullet in it…" He muttered.

"It worked, didn't it?" I said.

Mr. Chase jabbed me on the head and glared. "Not against four people!"

"I see you point…" I muttered back.

Mr. Chase sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Ok, you two are going home, NOW!"

"But we just got here…"I said.

"Too bad!" He glared.

Before I could state a retort, a large blast of electricity came in front of us and struck the asphalt.

"What the heck was that?!" David asked.

"That was the sound of a scumbag ready for round three." Mr. Chase said.

Up on a rooftop was and man in a black jacket. Blue lightning surged all around him. One of his eye were a sinister yellow color. Half of his face had blue veins pulsating around it. He looked terrifying.

"Come to admire my handiwork, Hawthorne?" The man said.

"I came to pay you back for the train incident." Mr. Chase said back with a death glare.

"I see you brought kid here to see you die. Such a shame." The man shook his head.

"You're gonna die tonight Zeyco!" Mr. Chase shouted.

"Oh really? Let's see if I can score three casualties." He said.

"You two stay back!" Mr. Chase demanded.

"Uh...ok!" David and I said.

"Sorry Sonna...I'm gonna do something stupid again…" Mr. Chase said, pulling out his dual revolvers.


	66. Three Minus One is Two

**Chapter 66**

(CHASE'S POV)

"Fuck you Zeyco!" I shouted as I fired off two shots.

He jumped up in the air and crashed down with a hard thud. He pointed his red and blue guns at me and smirked.

"Lights out Hawthorne." Electrical bullets flew at me and I made an attempt to dodge and or deflect them. His right eye glowed blue and he grinned. He shot a bullet towards Kevin and his friend.

"Fucking douche!" I snarled. With the modified arm that uncle Mickey made for me, I materialized my katana and sprinted in front of the bullet. I stopped it with the blade and glared. "That was a bitch ass move, even for you." I said.

"The bullet wasn't meant to hit the children. It was meant move you into position." Zeyco said with a smile.

"What?" I asked. I looked up and saw that he shot another bullet at a lamppost and toppled it over. "Sorry but that won't work!" I sliced the street light into multiple tiny harmless pieces. "Done yet?"

"Of course not. I'm always five steps ahead Chase." Zeyco said.

I looked up and saw my katana was covered in electricity. The electricity surged and quickly crept up my arm. "What the hell?!"

Zeyco's smirk widened as I dropped my katana and my left arm went limp. "How's that feel?"

I grit my teeth in anger and ran towards him. "Fuck you!" I shouted before swinging a heavy kick to his ribs. He coughed a bit before glaring back at me.

"Not bad…" He muttered. He spun around on his left foot and slammed his right heel directly into my cheek.

"Goddamnit!" I yell while holding the swollen part of my face.

"Your outmatched…" He said as he punt kicked the hell out of me. The force of the kick sent me like twenty feet into the air. "You're outclassed…" He jumped up and buried his elbow deep into my back, sending me crashing into the busy street. He landed in front of me and grinned. "And you're shit outta luck, Hawthorne!" He blasted me with an amped up amount of electricity. This caused my body to shake vigorously.

"What...did you...just do...to me?!" I asked.

"Simple, I paralyzed you. You're not going to be able to move for quite a while." He said. He then let out a tired sigh. "This wasn't as fun as our last two encounters. I figured that you'd have another ace up your sleeve, or maybe a new look like the last time. You went right back to the white coat. So very disappointing."

"Well...You know...what they said...You can't beat...the classics." I said before closing my eyes.

"What are you doing?" Zeyco asked.

"Pop quiz! What happens when an asshole pisses me off?" I asked.

"Not sure I really care for the answer to that particular question." He said.

"UPLOADING NEURAL LINK!"

"GODDAMNIT!" Zeyco growled.

I stood up and glared at him with the glowing white eyes. "Throwback Thursday motherfucker!"

"It's fucking Saturday-" I shut him up with a swift punch to his nose. "Bitch!" He attempted to throw one back only to have me catch his fist and smirk.

"You even trying?" I taunted.

"You making a mistake Hawthorne. I'll make you bleed!" He threw his other fist at me only to have the same result. I caught his other fist with the new arm that Mickey made for me. I pulled him into my knee, causing him to hunch over and gag. I grinned even wider. "Don't look so fucking smug. I haven't even begun to get serious yet."

"..." I leaned forward and sprung off of the ground. I slammed my left fist across his jaw and followed up with an uppercut putting him on his ass. He was steaming with rage. "What's up? You said that you'd make me bleed."

"Come forth, Laset...Riza!" He yelled as his red and blue magnums appeared in his hands. He pointed both of them at me and smirked.

Shots were fired at me instantly. I backflipped away and materialized my revolvers. "Suck it bitch!"

A lot of our bullets collided with each other but most made contact with their intended targets. I flipped to the side and blasted two shots towards Zeyco. He responded with a quick B-twist in order to avoid them and fired off two counter shots. I slid to the side and stopped behind a telephone booth.

I knew that the asshole was gonna add more offense to the mix so I won't be able to get in close enough for a good slice with my katana. His bullets hit hard and if I remember correctly, they also conduct electricity. One bad hit and I'm down for the count. I need a distraction. One that'll divert his gunfire to a different direction, giving me enough space to stab his ass.

I put away the guns and materialized a flashbang. I tossed it towards him and materialized my katana in my hands as I ran forward with my goggles on. The flash went off and blocked his sight. I jumped up, prepared to strike. With a quick thrust, my blade pierced right through his chest. The tip of my long katana stuck out of his his back, dripping his blood onto the street.

"...You...You actually got me…" He muttered.

"It's over! Our chapter comes to an end." I ripped the sword from his chest and slashed his neck, severing his jugular. Blood poured down his body. He desperately tried to stop the bleeding only for it to continue to spill. He dropped to his knees and stared at me with wide eyes.

"...Why? I didn't do...anything...to you!" Zeyco choked out.

"...Sorry but...I don't fuck with you!" I kicked his head to the floor and watched as he slowly died.

"You got him Mr. Chase! That was so badass!" Kevin yelled happily.

"Why the hell are you still here?!" I asked angrily.

"Oh c'mon...There was no way we were gonna miss you kick that guy's ass! Right David?" He asked his friend. David nodded which caused me to narrow my eyes at the two boys.

"You're both going home, now!" I snapped.

"Aww what? That's not fair! We still didn't get our sandwiches!" Kevin yelled. I lifted my goggles and sent him a glare which silenced him immediately. "..."

We started walking away ignoring the constant onlookers who were driving past when I heard something.

"...M...Med...Medkit…" Zeyco said slowly out of his blood filled mouth. I looked back and glared as he crawled back to his feet with ease. All of his wounds including his neck slice were completely gone. He was healed and fully energized.

"How?!" I asked.

"You wanna talk about throwbacks? I'm surprised that you don't remember my get outta death free card." He said while smirking.

"Fuck you then! I'll just have to decapitate you this time!" I said as I got out my katana once more.

"Heh...Yeah, I'm sorry to tell you Chase, but you won't be getting another chance like that again." He clenched his fist and grit his teeth. Electricity surged throughout his entire body. He let out a loud roar and glared at me. "It's been fun Hawthorne." Within a fraction of a second, I felt his palm slam into my chest, breaking a few of my ribs. I flew back first into a steel pole. Zeyco stomped over to me and glared. He lifted me up by my hair and snarled. "I'm a fucking god compared to you Hawthorne! You should learn your place!" He smashed his knee into my face, breaking my nose in the process. He held me to his face and grinned like a bastard. He then started laughing.

"...The fuck...is so goddamn funny?" I asked him.

"You know why I'm doing this? Why I killed you friend's parents? It's because you Chase. You and you little group of deadbeat assassins. You people claim to be killing criminals and making the world a better place...but what gives you the right?!" He slammed my head into the sidewalk. I could feel the crimson liquid dripping down my face.

"What?" I gasped out.

"You're all still murderers, regardless of the targets you kill. To me, you're just a bunch hippocratic trash. To kill is to take away somebody's life. What makes you think that you can dictate who lives and who dies? That's what's wrong with this world! Nobody knows their fucking place. People always think they're above someone else. Such a foolish instinct." He said.

"Some people need to be...wiped off of this face of the earth. People that kill innocents! People that harm the helpless! People that are corrupt! People like you!" I spat back at him.

He dropped my head to the floor and glared. "People like me? That's funny coming from an assassin like yourself. One that constantly lets his emotions cloud his judgement. Filthy assassins kill someone because of some stupid order or request. The people you murder often have families and tend to commit crimes in order to provide for said families. Goons and henchmen are often forced into that line of work in order to keep their lives and yet you assassins tend to slaughter them all without a second thought." He said. His words made my blood run cold. "You're doing all of this and don't even realize how many parents that you are taking away from children from all over."

"...No…" I muttered with a broken look on my face. I couldn't tell if he was being honest or trying to play me.

"Chase...I know all about you." He said.

"Shut up...You don't know shit about me!" I shouted as I attempted to punch him in the face. He swatted my hand away and kicked me to the ground.

"Your parents were killed by some of your dad's long time enemies. People that just so happened to be assassins themselves. What would sweet mama dear old dad think of their little baby boy growing up to be just like the people that killed them?" He spoke with a sinister attitude.

"Shut the fuck up!" I growled.

"They'd hate you!" He said.

"They wouldn't!" I shouted.

"They'd despise you!" He continued.

"No!" I couldn't stop the emotions from swirling inside of me.

"They'd see you as a bloodthirsty monster!" He said.

"...Stop it…" I muttered.

"...and in the end...They'd kill you, because that's how this fucked up world works. There is no justice. In the end, we kill who we want to kill and that's that. There is no in between. If you take a life then you deserve to die!" He said to me in a cold voice. "Even I will die...but not to a weak piece of shit like you." He stomped me into the concrete. "You will receive your punishment for your unethical murders. You're a criminal and will be given the death penalty." Electricity coursed through his palm. "Die!"

"...You say I'm a criminal...just because I killed other criminals…" I muttered. He thrusted his hand towards me. "Well you know what…" His hand grew closer and closer. "I DON'T GIVE A SHIT!"

~ ** _WHAM_** ~

I sent my right, artificial fist straight into his face. He staggered back and glared. I returned it with more intensity.

"The words of a true criminal." Zeyco said.

"If I'm a criminal than so be it. I'll gladly serve my time in prison...But not before I save the people I care about! Not before I take down the bastards that killed my family! Not before I kill your ass!" I said.

"Gonna be hard to kill me with those wounds. I know they burn!" He grinned. He wasn't wrong. I was in a lot of pain right now. I could barely stand.

~ ** _SLASH_** ~

"Huh?" I said confused as a hooded figure sliced Zeyco across his chest.

"Who the hell are-" Zeyco started.

~ ** _WHAM_** ~

Another figure slammed Zeyco deep into a the sidewalk, then proceeded to backflip next to the other figure. Zeyco lifted himself up and glared at the two people standing before him.

"This ends tonight...All of it…" The first said in a calm yet angry tone.

"You've had your fun Zeyco...but now you're out of control. You need help!" The second figure growled aggressively.

"Of all the people that could possibly understand...I thought you two would be it. I guess I was wrong. You two wanna get in my way and stand against me? Fine. You'll die along with the rest of the human population!" Zeyco shouted. "All humans will die! All except my beloved Sonna. She's the only woman fit to live in the ideal world. She and I will start the next generation of earthlings. Only then will this world be rid of criminal filth!" He said with a crazed look in his eyes.

"It's worse than I thought. His brain is overloading. He's unstable. Whatever JIN Corp. put inside of him is screwing with his mind." The first figure said darkly. "Nero, why don't we take him back to Kiro as soon as possible."

"I get it. Knock him out as quick as I can...Gotcha!" Nero said.

"Hmm...So where's that other little runt? Rigin, was it?" Zeyco asked.

"He left on his own. He could be anywhere by now." Nero said.

"So you two are gonna fight against me all by yourselves. Just Nyjii and Nero. You remember what happened last time, right?" Zeyco grinned.

"FUCK YOU ZEYCO!!!" Nero suddenly snapped.

"No Nero." Nyjii said calmly.

"I'm going to rip his nuts off!" Nero growled angrily.

"You can't." Nyjii scolded.

"YES I CAN IF I USE THE TWISTING MOTION!" Nero shouted.

"Listen to me, Nero. He may be insane, but he's still our brother. We need to bring him back to Kiro in the best condition possible." Nyjii said in his bored tone of voice.

I walked over to them drew my katana. "I'll back you guys up." I said.

"You're injured. It'd be best if you remained at a distance." Nyjii said.

"Nah, fuck that. He came to fight me so that's what's gonna happen." I said.

"Don't be stupid! You'll get yourself killed!" Nero said. "Your better off looking for those two kids you were with."

"Wait what?!" I said looking around. Kevin and David were nowhere to be found. "Goddamn kids!" I shouted.

(KEVIN'S POV)

This isn't safe dude!" David said to me.

"We have to help him! You saw how that guy got back to life after Mr. Chase killed him." I said.

"What the heck are we gonna do?!" David asked me.

"I dunno how well this'll work on that guy, but it's gotta at least leave a scratch on him." I said.

"Do you even know how to drive?!"

"...David, I'm like twelve...Of course not! Now get ready!" I said before throwing a brick on the gas pedal. I couldn't exactly reach the pedals. The vehicle took off. David and I automatically started swerving through the busy streets. We'd occasionally hit other cars in our path as we made our way back to the fight.

"This is freaking crazy!" David yelled with panic.

"Get ready! I see our target!" I said.

"I hope this works. I just wanna go home now." David whined.

"Not until we get our sandwiches!" I said happily.

(CHASE'S POV)

"Zeyco...You can either come willingly…" Nyjii started.

"Or have us drag you back by your broken legs! Your choice!" Nero shouted.

Zeyco responded with him shifting into a fighting stance. He stared at us intently until his gaze shifted to his right. Then his head turned in order to look up the street.

"What the hell?" Nyjii asked in a slightly less bored tone.

Before anyone could say or do anything, a large eighteen wheeler came speeding down towards Zeyco. The bastard stood there and watched it come closer. As it got near him it stopped dead in its tracks and exploded. Nyjii, Nero, and I stared at the flaming truck with looks of shock and horror. A little slightly burnt shoe rolled over to me and I stared at with utter disdain on my face.

"K...Kevin...David..?" I said.

"You mean the two little runts were in there? That's actually pretty funny." Zeyco said before laughing loudly.

I gave him a hate filled glare. "How dare you...Do you know...What the FUCK...you just did?"

"Got rid of a couple of pest?" He said while clearly still amused.

"I am going kill you...I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!!!" I shouted as I jumped at him with my katana firmly in my hands. I ignored the warning from the other two and charged at him with the full intent to kill. I viciously swung my blade at him. He dodged it but I didn't let that stop me. I continued to swing at him. He kept dodging and dodging until he kicked me away and through the bus stop bench.

"Damnit Zeyco!" Nyjii yelled. "You need to stop!"

"Yeah! Can't we just talk this out over some Dunkin Doughnuts?" Nero said hopefully.

"..." Zeyco ran at him and dug his fist into Nero's gut. Nero dropped instantly and held one hand to his stomach and the other to his mouth. As much as he tried not to, he threw up. Liquidy food, mush and mucus mixed with his saliva. Chunks of partly digested meat were evident.

As Nero continued to vomit, Nyjii glared back at Zeyco. "Guess there's nothing to talk about…" He said in his unenthusiastic voice. "I need you Proto Daggers." As he said this, two long dagger formed in his hand.

"So that's how it is?" Zeyco asked.

"You brought this on yourself." Nyjii spoke "Gear Change!" With speed that I've never seen before, Nyjii quickly sent a slash to Zeyco which he was actually still able to block with his now blood covered arms. Zeyco jumped back at glared at him. "You were still able to lift up your arms in order to defend. How?"

"I'm much faster than before. Even with your little temporary speed boost you still can't match my quickness." Zeyco said.

Nyjii sighed and closed his eyes. Once he opened them, they were black with a strange diamond pattern. "Vision Distort!" He yelled.

Zeyco held his eyes and shouted angrily. "Motherfucker!"

"Now's my chance to end this." Nyjii said as he ran towards Zeyco. He got into the strike zone and raised his daggers.

"Psych…" Zeyco muttered.

"...What?" Nyjii asked before he was kicked into a moving car, denting it and tipping it over completely. The man inside the car died and Nyjii was paralyzed with fear of his former friend and leader.

"What to do now Nyjii? You can't beat me, not like that anyway. Nero can't even stand without hurling his brains out and Chase is waiting for a bus ride home back to his mother's vagina." I'm gonna fucking kill him. I swear to god and put it on everything that this asshole is gonna die.

"Zeyco...Just let us...help you…" Nyjii said.

"I don't need help. I'm better than ever." Zeyco said as he gripped Nyjii up by the throat with his left arm and started punching him repeatedly with his right. Seeing this made Nero go nuts and got him to charge at Zeyco and sliced his left arm clean off with his now bloody claws. The severed arm flew away as Nyjii dropped to the floor. Nero looked like a wild animals ready to attack his prey.

"Ah, so you decided to use Killer Instinct." Zeyco said with a grin.

"I'm going to galge your eyes outta the back of your head!" Nero growled. "DIE!!!" Nero leapt forward towards his opponent, opened his mouth wide, and sunk his razor sharp teeth into Zeyco's shoulder.

"You miserable little bastard!" Zeyco snarled as he pulled Nero off of him and slammed him into the concrete. "You're very lucky that I can regenerate this."

Nero glared at him, forced himself up, and connected with a brutal uppercut to Zeyco's jaw. Zeyco was sent crashing down onto a moving car, completely crushing those inside. Nero didn't care though. He decided to pick up a moving car and throw it at Zeyco. Zeyco did that same thing that he did to the large truck and blew it up. Nero repeated this several more times which got Nyjii to yell at him to stop.

"You're killing innocent civilians! Stop this, right now!" Nyjii demanded.

"I am? I'm...I'm sorry Nyjii…" Nero said with shame.

"Taking orders like the worthless dog you are. If you would've joined me, you could've destroyed whatever the hell you wanted to. You could truely harness those powers." Zeyco said.

"No...I can't...I WON'T BETRAY NYJII AND KIRO!" Nero shouted before jumping at him with a cocked back fist.

"How disappointing…" Zeyco said and he closed his eyes.

~ ** _BANG_** ~

Nyjii and I watched as Nero's body dropped to the ground and laid lifeless in the street. In Zeyco's hand was his blue handgun. I looked at Nyjii and noticed that hiz expression changed dramatically. He was pissed and I could tell.

"N...Nero...Nero! NERO!!!" He screamed.

"Another death you could've avoided by simply joining me." Zeyco said.

"Join you?! No...I'm going to KILL you!" Nyjii said. This was the first time I ever saw him lose his cool. It was so bizzar to see him like this.

"I've been hearing that a lot lately. Too bad nobody ever does anything to back up that ridiculous claim." Zeyco scoffed.

"Then let me be the first and the last." Nyjii glared.

"How, with all of those wounds?" Zeyco asked with a devilish smirk plastered on his stupid fucking face. "Medkit!" He shouted. His wounds were once again healed and his arm somehow managed to grow back. "I doubt that you can do that."

Nyjii gave him another glare. At this point, I didn't know what to do. My body couldn't take a beating like how theirs can. Zeyco can keep healing, Nyjii is hurt and Nero, the only one that did anything just died! Not to mention all of the people that died, including Kevin and David.

I grit my teeth and pulled myself back to my feet. I pulled the scraps of metal fro my skin and glared at Zeyco. He's strong but not immortal. I've noticed that he can't reuse "Medkit" right away. In that time period, we have to kill him...but that's easier said than done. He's smarter, faster, and stronger than the two of us combined. This isn't good.

"So what now Nyjii? You gonna try your luck against me?" Zeyco asked.

"..." Nyjii stayed silent.

"Why don't I take a chance?!" Said a cloaked figure from the skies. I knew right away that it was R. He slammed his gauntlet cladded fist into Zeyco's skull, sending straight into the asphalt.

"More assassins? What a pain in the ass." Zeyco said as he cracked his neck. Before he could get out of the small crater, three glowing arrows struck his chest and detonate simultaneously.

Sonna landed right next to R and narrowed her eyes at Zeyco. "You need to be stopped." She said coldly.

"You?! How dare you! I was willing to let you live above the rest of this trash! You've just guaranteed your own demise Sonna!" Zeyco hissed.

"You're out of your mind! I can't let you kill all of these people!" Sonna shouted.

"So you're just gonna kill me?" Zeyco asked her. "I thought you loved me."

"It's because I love you that I'm here to stop you. Even if I have to kill you." She said.

Zeyco clenched his teeth. "You're all gonna die! All of you!" Before Zeyco could strike, a large blue axe flew by and got in his way. "Are you serious with this bullshit?!"

Milton suddenly landed down next to R and Sonna. "I finally found your ass."

Zeyco smirked. "How you doing Milton! You kiss mommy and daddy for me?"

Milton's glare intensified as he he aimed and M4A1 assault rifle at him. "How's about a kiss from this." He said. Without warning, he opened fire on the lone prototype. Zeyco managed to dodge all of the bullets without moving from his position. This caused Milton to glare and toss away his gun.

"So eager to die, huh? So be it." Static surrounded him. "I'LL SHOW YOU THE WAY!" The ground began to tremble beneath us.

I brought out my katana and narrowed my eyes. Sonna readied her bow with a determined look. R and Nyjii both readied their respective daggers. Milton materialized a large black and blue axe.

"You're gonna regret killing my parents you prick!" Milton hissed.

"Time to end this Zeyco!" I shouted.

"Just let us help you!" Sonna hissed.

"You shouldn't have killed Nero you cold bastard!" Nyjii yelled.

"This is it for you dude!" R said.

We all charged at him with our weapons ready. Nyjii lead the charge, eager to attack Zeyco. We all got in close. Zeyco glared at us.

"DIE!!!" We all screamed.

(SHADOW'S POV)

~ ** _RIP_** ~

"Ow! Son of a bitch!" The man tied up in the chair yelled as I ripped the tape from his mouth. I glared at him and he looked at me with a confused look. "Shadow?! You backstabbing piece of shit! What's this all about?"

I punched him across his jaw. "Martin...You know something...I don't like being played. You're John's little informer so I need you to relay a message for me since my last little chat with him face to face wound up getting me shot."

"W...What?" He said nervously.

We were in my garage. Raven wasn't home and Sigma said she'd keep this quiet so this was the best place to conduct my little interrogation. I went to the workbench and picked up some pliers.

"What do you wanna lose first? A tooth, or a fingernail? Either way it's gonna hurt like hell." I said to him.

"Shadow please! John controls the cash! I have no idea why he's laying you off!" Martin said.

"...Fingernail it is…" I said. I gripped up his pointer finger and yanked the nail clean off. Martin screamed in agony as his finger bled.

"You fucking psycho!" He shouted.

"Now you know, I'm not dicking around. Where's all the money going?! You're the third person to tell me that you don't have any clue. Those other guys...well let's just say that they aren't going to lie to me again." I sneered at him.

"But I don't know! I swear!" Martin said.

"...Right…" I ripped his shirt off and grabbed some jumper cables. I clashed them together until I saw sparks. I clamped them to his nipples and squeezed. I watched as he shook around due to the electricity. "You're only making this harder for yourself." I said as I unclamped the cables.

"I...I can't tell you…" He said, struggling to stay conscious.

"You can't or you won't? There's a big difference!" I said.

"John will have my head if I talk!" Martin said.

"Trust me Martin...I'm not John." I said walking over to the workbench. I grabbed a large jug of water and an old towel.

"What...What are you doing?!" He asked in a panic.

"How long can you hold your breath Martin?" I asked before slapping the rag on his face. He squirmed around in the chair letting out muffled screams. I began to slowly pour the water on his face. I watched as he jumped around and shook furiously. I kept going until the water jug was empty. I noticed that he stopped moving. "Damnit!" I grumbled with frustration. I cocked back a fist and punched his chest hard enough for him to cough up the water from his lungs.

"You...You're fucking insane!" Martin said.

"You almost up and died on me Martin. Right before we got to the fun part." I said with narrowed eyes. "Wait here for a sec." I said as if he had a choice.

I walked outside to the toolshed and grabbed the chainsaw. I walked back to the garage and saw Martin's terrified look.

"No! NO PLEASE!" He begged.

"Start talking or your losing a leg to start with." I threatened.

"U.S. National Depository! John took control of it. He keeps all the money there!" Martin said quickly.

I revved up the chainsaw. "That's good info and everything...but not what I'm looking for." I said walking closer.

"He not paying your money because he's using it all for himself!" Martin screamed.

"TELL ME SOMETHING I DON'T FUCKING KNOW ALREADY!!!" I snapped.

"It's for his son! He wants his son! Kevin Gates is his son! He's using the money to find him!"

"Why would he spend so much cash for a kid?" I asked.

"His son is the key to reversing the effects of the serum. The one that fucked up the people in Atlanta. His DNA is what's needed to create a cure!" Martin said.

"Why would John want to make a cure? He doesn't ping me as a saint."

"He's the cause of the outbreak. A failed experiment...He created the serum and it fucked up. It even got his wife and daughter killed. Some guy named Chase Hawthorne apparently saved his son. Now the kid is somewhere in New York." Martin spoke.

"Shit! I guess I gotta have a chat with Hawthorne next." I said.

I heard the garage door open and saw Sigma standing there. She gave me a serious look. "Raven is currently on her way Shawn." She said.

"Shit!" I growled. I looked at Martin with a distant face. "Well Martin, I got what I need from you." I said.

"Good, now let me fucking leave now!" He said.

"...I'm afraid, I can't do that." I said as I thrusted the chainsaw into his torso. It effortless shredded through his flesh and internal organs. His blood splattered onto me and the floor. Once he was dead, I ripped the chainsaw from his body and looked at Sigma.

"So cruel…" She said jokingly.

"Do me a favor and get rid of him for me." I said while tossing the bloody chainsaw back in the shed. "I gotta go hurry and wash off."

"Fine! You owe me for this." She huffed.

"I'll pick up another one of those weird hentai movies that you like so much." I said casually to her.

"Much appreciated." She said.

(R'S POV)

"Sh...Shit!" I hissed painfully. I had an open wound on my chest.

"That bastard broke my damn arm!" Chase growled.

"What the hell are we gonna do?" Midnight asked.

"We need a plan." Nyjii said. "Damnit!" He slammed his fist into the ground. Why Nero...WHY'D HE HAVE TO KILL HIM?!" I felt bad for him. Nyjii and I were cool and to see him lose Nero sucked.

Zeyco walked up to us without a scratch on him. "Is this your best? If so, then you've let me down."

Midnight got up and charged at him. "You fucking asshole!" He snarled with fury.

"Zeyco pivoted on his right foot and sent a brutal roundhouse to his quads. Midnight dropped to the floor helplessly. He held his leg and glared.

"Is there no stopping this guy?!" I asked.

"R…" Nyjii said. I looked at him with a raised brow.

"What is it Nyjii?" I asked him.

"You're my friend...right?" He asked me.

"Yeah. We're cool. Why do you ask though?"

"..." He looked back at Zeyco with a neutral look. "Friends help other friends...right?"

"What are you…" I started but then understood his words. "Nyjii don't...He'll kill you!"

"Doesn't matter...My life has been shit since the start. I didn't expect to live this long...It's because of Zeyco and Nero that I came this far. Now, Nero is gone and Zeyco isn't himself anymore. When we were a family...It was kinda nice…" He said.

"Nyjii...Don't fight him alone." I said.

He then looked back at the rest of the group. "All of you need to leave. I'll take it from here." He said.

"All by yourself?! You'll get yourself killed!" Chase said.

"I'll be fine...Just go!" He demanded. We all nodded and started to move out. Chase ran to go get Midnight until Zeyco aimed a hand at him.

"You're not going anywhere!" Zeyco said. Nyjii vanished and reappeared in front of him.

"You're fighting with me!" Nyjii yelled. "Shadow Tap!" He shouted. With a quick jab, Zeyco was sent flying back into a building. Nyjii looked back with a serious expression. "NOW'S YOUR CHANCE!"

I looked back with a sad expression. "Thanks Nyjii…"


	67. The Rift Between Us

"How are you two doing?" Asked a middle aged man that I knew to be my father.

"We're fine dad…" I said to him with a scoff.

"That's good. Well I'm going to go out and pick up a couple of groceries. I'll be back in about forty five minutes." He said with a smile.

"Alright dad…" I rolled my eyes at him.

He waved as he walked out the door. As soon as the door closed, I looked at my friend with a stoic expression and sighed.

"I still don't see why you hate your dad so much. He seems pretty cool to me." My friend Austin said as he closed his textbook.

"Look dude, I'd rather not talk about my dad right now let's just play the xbox." I said to him as I turned on the console.

"You know, most people tend to be happy on their birthday. You just look like a grumpy jerk." Austin said.

I glared at him. "What's there to be happy about? It's just another regular old day…" I told him.

"Wow...you are very depressing." He said as he picked up a blue controller. "Isn't your dad throwing you a huge party today?"

"Yeah…" I said with a sad tone.

"Dude, lighten up. You're turning thirteen today. This is supposed to be a good day for you. You're a teen now!" Austin said.

"Yeah…" I said distantly. I couldn't get my mind off of the situation at hand. Dad would be home soon which meant that it was almost time for the party to start. "C'mon dude, just pick your character." I said.

-Two Hours Later-

Tears dripped down my face. I knew what was going to happen to all of my friends. I knew but I was too afraid to tell them. Too afraid to warn them. I didn't want to cross my father. Not on the day of my birth. This was a dark day for me. It NEVER ended well for anyone except my father.

I was currently hiding away in my room trying to avoid all of my "friends". I can't even call them that. Not anymore. I was leading them into a trap. A trap that could've been avoided if I told them in time. Now, here they were, chilling in my living room eating cake and having a good time while my father was conversing with whatever parents were left. When I say "left", I'm implying that the others are locked away in my basement slowly dying. The number of adults left was slowly dwindling which is exactly what my dad wants. This made me fear for the safety of the other kids.

~KNOCK KNOCK~

I looked up at the door with a nervous expression. I was terrified. I knew who was on the other side of that door. My heart was pounding inside of my chest. I was sweating bullets and struggling to contain my breath. I wanted to run, but there was nowhere to go. I was stuck inside of this room. I couldn't escape from the window. We lived in a penthouse suit. I knew that I'd have to just accept my fate and follow through with what was about to happen.

My door opened slowly. The silhouette of a tall, slender man stood there just staring at me. I averted my eyes to the floor in an attempt to pretend that he wasn't there. I knew it was too late though. He made his presence know when he said my name which snapped me outta my thoughts. I looked up at him with a saddened expression.

"It's time. You know what you have to do." He said.

"..." I didn't move from the bed. I just stayed there looking at my sheets.

"...Boy! You heard me speak to you just now. Go and complete your job." He demanded.

"...N...No…" I stuttered quietly.

"...Excuse me…" He said in his dark tone.

"Dad, please. I don't want to kill anymore. I want to actually have friends this year!" I said with emotion.

"Are you defying your father?" He asked calmly.

"...I...I just don't want to hurt anyone anymore. I want to live a normal life. I'm sick of being your accomplice! I don't wanna be a tool for bloodshed dad." I said.

"Will you come willingly or do you wish to continue defying me?" He asked in his chillingly calm voice.

"I'm not going… I will kill no more…" I said.

He nodded his head at me and walked closer. He stopped in front of me and gave me a horrifying look. His face was sinister and cold. There was no hint of a good man behind that evil face.

"Very well then…" He said.

"..." I stayed silent.

"...Serena…" Was all he said to me. My heart pounded violently. My mind began to go numb and my vision got blurry.

"Stop it!" I yelled as I clutched my head and let out a pained scream.

"Serena...Are you home?" He said.

"STOP!" I screamed even louder.

"Serena...look at our baby boy growing up so fast." He said.

I broke down crying heavily. I wanted to get up and tear him apart, but I couldn't. I slowly walked off of the bed. My mind was still conscious, but my body was under a trance. "Please… Don't make me do it!" I said desperately.

"Now! Do I need to get your mother involved?" He asked. My body began to shake furiously.

"S...she…You…" I stuttered.

"Serena!" He called out.

That was the breaking point. My mind went numb and I slowly walked out of my room with a dead look on my face. I slowly walked into the living room and stared at everyone with a faded expression. My hair was blocking my black hair. A wide smile was plastered on my face.

"Hey dude! You're finally back." Austin said as he walked over to me. He placed a hand on my shoulder. "I see that you're finally smiling now. That's good...No...Wait a minute. Are you crying?" He asked me. Nothing ever got past him.

"I'm...sorry...My mom will leave me...if I don't…" I said in a broken voice.

"What do you mean dude? You told me that your mom died when you were seven." Austin said confused.

"She's gonna leave me again. I can't disappoint her again!" I shouted as I forcefully grabbed him by the neck and began to strangle him. "I don't wanna get in trouble!"

"W...What...are you...doing?!" He asked as he was slowly losing breath.

"I have to do it! She'll get mad...Then she'll leave me again!" I said.

"...No...Don't do it Blake…We're friends..." He slowly said before gasping for his last breath. His head dropped, signaling that he was dead.

I crawled to my feet and stared at the rest of the kids in the room. They all had horrified looks on their faces. I held my wild grin and stared back like a hungry predator. "Are you proud of me mom?" I said out loud. "Will you come back home now?"

"B...Blake is insane!" One kid yelled.

"He just killed Austin!" Another kid yelled.

I slowly stomped over to the and pulled out a chef's knife from the back of my grey sweatpants. "I'm sorry…"

-Present-

(BLAKE'S POV)

I stared at my hands with mixed emotions. I could still see the blood that covered them that day. I murdered all of my so called friends that day. I'd never forget what I did to them. I was a monster. I was the reason that so many families disappeared back then. I would lose myself and murder everyone… except for the one man that I needed to kill. The one that has been manipulating me since my mother died. As much as I hated him… I just could not kill my dad.

I was sitting in my room with May on my lap trying to comfort me. I appreciated it, but it honestly wasn't helping to ease my nerves. I wasn't sure if I should face him. I don't think that I could with May here. She was in danger as long as she was here. Both me AND my father couldn't be trusted. He was a sadistic piece of shit and I was an unstable trainwreck of emotions. I loved May… If I ever hurt her… I'd lose my mind. I'd… Shit, I don't know what I'd do.

As May continued to rub my back soothingly, I began to dwell on the many different possibilities for a bad outcome to this situation. So many ended up with May dead. My breathing sped up. My heart throbbed.

"Blake...It's ok. I'm still here. You'll be fine. Your father didn't seem all that bad to me." She said. I had to tell her. She wasn't safe...not here.

"No… May… This was a terrible idea. You can't be here. I know that you wanna meet my father, but he's not what you think." I said.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

I grabbed her shoulders and stared into her eyes. "It's what he does. To me and other people. He's the devil! He works his way into your mine, then he lures you with his "friendly" nature. Once he's in your mind… He watches you until you have that looming feeling of no escape. I don't want that happening to you." I said.

"Blake, I don't know what you're talking about, but I know that you'll keep me safe." She said while hugging me tightly. I was still afraid. I couldn't shake this knot in my gut. She wasn't safe. Especially not with me here. I was just as much a threat to her as my father. It was just that I was a different type of threat.

I heard the front door open and then shut, signaling me that the devil had just returned to hell. I looked at May with a serious expression.

"Keep your guard up. Don't let him too close to you. Don't make direct eye contact, don't take any food or drinks from him, don't wander off on your own, and DO NOT let him touch you." I instructed.

May nodded at me and I nodded back. It was time to face this man. He was the unspeakable evil that I had to deal with. We got off of my bed and walked outta my room. I was still nervous. May must've noticed this because she gripped my hand tightly as we walked out of the door.

"Blake? Where are you?" My father called from the living room. May and I slowly walked down the hallway. We stopped and looked at my father. He was sitting on the couch with a light smile on his face. May probably thought his smile was a kind hearted one. I however knew better. That was a sinister smile.

"I'm right here sir…" I said, trying to mask my hidden rage.

"Well hello there my son."He said. I hated his voice.

"..." I didn't respond. I instead held a narrow look.

"Well aren't you going to introduce me to you beautiful guest?" He asked.

"...This is May. My girlfriend." I said with a threatening undertone as if challenging him to try something.

"Ah, yes… So you're my son's lover. I can see that my son has wonderful taste." He said as he got up and walked over to us. He held out his hand to shake. May looked at it and then glanced at me. I lightly shook my head "no".

Instead of shaking his hand, she quickly bowed. "Hello sir. It's nice to meet you." She said. I sighed inwardly.

My father seemed to take notice of this and lowered his hand, but not before giving me a quick look. I returned it with a slight glare. He turned and walked over to the kitchen.

"I made meatloaf for dinner. Would you care to join my son and I?" He asked.

"Huh? Uh no thank you. I already ate before I got here." She lied. I knew that she was hungry right now. That made me feel a little bad.

"Nonsense. You haven't had meatloaf until you've tried mine." He said to her.

May was at a loss. She wasn't sure what to say. She looked at me for assistance. I nodded to her and decided to speak. "May can't stay that long dad. She has to be home soon." I said.

"Well it's a good thing that dinner is just about finished. Blake, go on and set the table." My dad said with his fake ass smile.

"...Fine. May, you mind giving me a hand?" I only asked just to keep her with me.

"Uh… Sure thing-"

"Blake can handle the table on his own. Besides, I wish to talk to May for a brief moment." Dad said, cutting her off.

My eyes widened and I felt a chill up my spine. He was doing this on purpose. I had to do something. "Dad… I messed up my hand earlier. I could really use the help." I said.

"Blake!" He suddenly said with hostility laced in his voice which made May and I jump. "Quit making up foolish excuses and set the table." He demanded, making me submit. I gave one last quick look before going off and setting the table.

-Five Minutes Later-

I set the table as quick as I could and ran back over to May and my dad. My dad had a wide smile on his face and May had looked flustered. This made my blood boil. I looked at my dad with and icy glare. He flashed a crazy look in his eyes but I didn't back down. I wasn't his bitch! I don't know what he said to her l, but I didn't like it.

Once we all sat down at table, my dad said grace and gestured us to begin eating. I gave May a quick look that said to wait a moment. I watched as my father ate his food. I then took a small bite outta my meal. It didn't seem tainted so I kept eating. I heard May's stomach growl next to me. I looked at her and sighed. I nodded slowly to her. She started eating and she had a smile on her face which left me confused.

"This is really good, Mr. Stryder." She said.

"Oh May, I'm pleased that you enjoy my cooking." He said with a smile as he watched her eat. I narrowed my eyes at him. His gaze shifted over to me and he grinned widely. He went back to looking at her and licked his lips. My right eye twitched. I wanted to hop over the table and stab him.

As May finished her meal, my dad stood up and told me to wash the dishes. I glared at him but did as I was told. As I was washing them, I heard May laughing which caused me to grind my teeth in anger.

I stopped washing and walked back to the living room where May was sitting next to my dad on the couch laughing up a storm. This made my heart drop. I quickly moved to sit next to her and glared at my father. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her closer to me.

"What's so funny?" I asked.

"Your dad was just telling me about how you used to be afraid of the dark." May said to me. This caused me to furrow my brows.

"Is he now…" I said. I was never afraid of the dark. I was afraid of the man that lurked in it.

"Blake, did you take out the trash?" My father asked. I know he just want more alone time with May. That pissed me off.

"No...I didn't." I hissed.

He grinned at me. "Why don't you go take care of that." He said.

"I think I'll wait until May heads home." I said.

May looked at her phone. "Whoa, it's eleven already? I should head home." She said.

"Why not just stay the night? I wouldn't mind and I know that Blake has room to spare." My father said. I didn't trust this at all.

I got up and pulled May to her feet and walked her to the door. "No. She needs to get home. Maybe another time." I said. I looked at May with a sorry expression. "If you want, I can walk you home." I said.

"No thanks. I'll just call an Uber." She said.

"Ok. Be safe." I said before kissing her cheek.

"I'll see you tomorrow Blake. Bye Mr. Stryder. Thanks for the meal." She said.

"Please, do come back at any time." Dad said. His voice held another meaning to his words.

Once May was gone, I turned around and glared at my father. "What did you say to her?" I asked assertively.

"Oh, nothing important. Just got to know her is all." He said. He walked over to me and lowered himself to my ear.

"She's quite lovely. Such a beautiful girl like that is to good for you, boy. It'd be ashame if her essence was wasted on a little bastard like yourself." He whispered sadistically.

"You won't touch her you asshole." I sneered.

"I can't wait to feel her soft skin. I want to taste all over her. I bet she has a sweet taste." He said.

"I will end you!" I growled.

"The best part… Is that she's still a virgin. I'm going to enjoy taking that away from her, and your gonna sit there and let me." He said with a craze look. "I want her Blake. I want her in every way."

"Don't test me old man. I'm not that same kid that you could manipulate with ease." I said.

"Is that so? I wonder what Serena would think of you now that you're all grown up. You think your a man now?" He asked.

"I've done things that you couldn't even begin to fathom. You're nowhere near close to what I faced in my life." I said.

"Then why haven't you killed me yet? I know you have that little box of weapons. You could've killed me a long time ago. What's holding you back?" He asked.

My eyes went wide. He knew that I had the Arsenal. He knew that I could kill him. Why did he keep pushing me into this ultimatum?

"..." I truthfully didn't know if I should answer.

"Is it because deep down you still love your father...or is it the fact that you still fear me?" He asked.

"Don't flatter yourself." I said back with a scoff.

"Maybe it's because you still hold onto your mother's death." He said with a grin.

"Don't start!" I said trying to brush him off.

"I'm right aren't?" He said with a devilish smirk. "You still miss your mom. You still hold yourself responsible for her death. You can't kill me until you overcome that day and move on. Am I right?" He said.

"I… I don't have to admit anything to you!" I shouted at him as I stormed off to my room. I couldn't take his words anymore. I needed to leave. I turned my TV on and automatically was greeted by an emergency news broadcast.

" _There's terror on the streets of Time's Square. Two mutants are currently fighting against each other in a grueling brawl. The battle has left seven citizens killed and fifty-three injured. A group of oddly dressed teens can be seen fleeing the area as we speak_." The reporter said.

I stared at the screen with a look of shock. I grabbed my brown, leather jacket with my Arsenal and walked to the window. I was on the hundredth floor so I had to go Arsenal if I wanted to survive.

"Leaving, son?" My dad asked, standing at my doorway.

"That's none of your concern." I said to him.

"If you say so. Do keep yourself alive. I need you to bring May back over here eventually." He said.

"...Fuck you dad…" I said before jumping out of the window and suiting up in my battle attire with the press of a button.

(NYJII'S POV)

The cold night time wind made my hair sway. I glared at my long time friend and former leader. He stared at me with equal intensity.

"Why are you challenging me alone? You couldn't even face me with the others. What do you expect to do on your own?" He asked me.

"I'm going to make you understand that what your doing is wrong. You're hurting people that don't deserve it. You need to get that serum extracted from you." I told him.

"Gonna be hard to do that without your arms." He said.

"Hmph…" We both stared at each other, watching out for movements.

"HAAA!" I shouted as I ran forward with a glare on my face. He readied up his guard and prepared to defend. "Gear Change V6!" I shouted.

His eyes widened as I ran through his defense and punched him straight in the face. He staggered back and held his nose.

"So you were holding back. I wasn't aware of your upgrade." He said.

"I asked Kiro to give me a little boost before Nero and I confronted you. My abilities have been enhance to a much higher degree." I told him.

"I see…" He said. "Well I still got a few tricks up my sleeve as well." I raised a brow at him. "Come forth, Bo La Indra!" He shouted. A large bo staff appeared in his hands. The ends were charged with electricity. He twirled his staff around and pointed it at me.

"So that's how we will start this battle… Very well then. Proto Scythe!" My scythe was currently in its simplest form. "Scythe stage two!" I shouted as it grew two sizes.

Zeyco ran at me and swung his staff. I ducked under his swing and struck back. He jumped up, avoiding my counter attack and slammed his staff down on me. I blocked his attack with my scythe. He pushed harder against me and smirked.

"Die!" He said to me.

"...N...No!" I kicked him off me and glared. I threw my scythe at him and watched as he dodged it. This gave me enough time to initiate my next attack. "Shadow Tap Phase Six!" With blinding speed, I jabbed him in his chest. As he flew back I quickly vanished behind him and through another punch that sent him forward again. I repeated this process a couple of times until I decide to finally hit him with my next attack, the Clockwork Kick. I thrusted my right leg forward and in less than a millisecond, I connected with around nine thousand swift side kicks.

Zeyco gasped as he felt the sting of my attacks. For a moment his body remained still. That was until a split second later his body flew off into the opposite direction and smashed into a moving car.

Zeyco glared at me and cracked his back. "That actually hurts a little bit. I'm surprised." Instead of speaking, I responded with a quick punch to his jaw which sent him flying in the air. He corkscrewed to the ground and grit his teeth. "You're testing my patients Nyjii."

"Why don't you get serious already. I don't feel like playing games with you." I said.

"You want me to get serious? Fine, I'll just kill you right now! Come forth, Protosatorian!" He yelled. After he said this, his large mech suit dropped to the ground. "Be careful what you wish for." He jumped inside of it and chuckled. "You just might get it!"

I narrowed my eyes and prepared myself. He fired off around ten heat-seeking missiles with the shoulder mounted rocket launchers. I used my enhanced speed to dodge and evade each of the incoming rockets. He aimed at me with the minigun arm and fired off a stream of bullets. I close my eyes and brought out my next ability. "Proto Vision!" I said as I snapped my eyes open. Time seemed as if it slowed down. I was able to see each and every individual bullet. I step to the side and ran forward. Time seem to go back to normal as Zeyco launched a mechanical fist at me. The strong punch knocked the wind out of me and sent me flying away from him. I got up and brought out my Proto Daggers.

"You won't last at this rate." He taunted.

I gripped my weapons and glared at him with my now black eyes. I activated my ability "New and Improved" which made my daggers glow a bright red color. They were now a lot sharper and felt lighter. I was now ready to strike.

"I'll let you think that." I said. He fired off more missiles. These however were much more aggressive with the tracking. I wouldn't be able to just simply just dodged these missiles. I'll have to rely on of my best techniques. I ran forward as the missiles grew closer. "Relocate!" I yell. I was instantly teleported directly above the large mech. I dived down and stabbed the top of it. I cut through the layers of metal that were protecting Zeyco, grabbed him and tossed him out. He looked me and glared.

"Proto Boots!" He shouted. He blasted forward with the rocket powered shoes, spun around and kicked me in the temple. This attack dropped me to the ground with a heavy thud. I crawled back to my feet and held myself. I was about to retaliate until his Mech's arm grabbed me and held me in place. "It's time to die Nyjii." He said.

I struggled around but couldn't escape from the hold. That's when a bright red light flashed behind me. "What the hell?" I asked.

"Particle cannon armed and ready to fire!" The mech said.

"Fire away!" Zeyco said with a wicked smirk on his face.

There was only one way I was getting out of this. This will take up the rest of my stamina but I have no choice. I had to teleport once more. "RELOCATE!" I shouted in a panic. I teleported from the mechanical grip and onto a building behind the blast. I panted heavily due to my current exhaustion.

"Just as I expected. I knew that you'd teleport as a last resort. Too bad that you're all outta stamina now." He said. I shoulda known that it was a lose lose situation.

"Just get it over with already. I can't even move my legs right now…" I said with frustration.

"I thought that your end would be a bit more dramatic. You're as emotionless as usual. Oh well… it can't be helped." He charged up electricity in his left hand. "Goodbye Nyjii…" He said to me.

I closed my eyes and prepared myself for my painful death. Only thing is… Nothing happened. I slowly opened my eyes to to see Kiro in front of me. He had a tight grip on Zeyco's hand.

"I've seen quite enough! Zeyco, you're coming with me. It's time to resolve this issue." He said. He then looked back at me and softened his gaze. "Nyjii, are you alright?"

"I...I'm fine...but Nero...he…" I started to feel a wave of sorrow.

"I know...It''ll be ok. For now…" He looked back at Zeyco. "We're going home."

"HELL NO!" Zeyco shouted as he tried to free himself. "I don't need you!"

With a swift neck chop, Kiro dropped him to the floor. He tossed the unconscious Prototype ovover his shoulder and then looked at me. "Nyjii, go and get Nero. We have quite a bit of work to do." He said.

I nodded and did as instructed. With Nero's corpse now in my arms, we teleported back home in a flash thanks to Kiro.

(BLAKE'S POV)

"What was going on here?" I said to myself as I looked around the destroyed street. Burned vehicles, dead bodies, destroyed buildings! It was a mess. I scanned the area in search for the others or the Prototypes.

"IF YOU EVER DO SOME SHIT LIKE THAT AGAIN, I'LL TIE YOU TO THE FRONT OF A SPEEDING TRAIN! GOT IT?!" I heard a rage filled voice snap. I followed the voice to see Chase scolding Kevin and the others just watching.

"I was just trying to help." Kevin said.

"I don't need help! I'm used to crazy shit like this on a daily." Chase told him.

I walked over to the small group and greeted them. "Hey guys. What the hell happened down here?" I asked.

"Long story short, Zeyco pretty much single handedly whooped our asses." R said.

"That bastard is lucky that he got away. He's gonna pay the next time we meet." Midnight said with an angry huff. He then decided to just walk off.

"Where you about to go Milton?" Chase asked.

"...I don't know. Might go to Nina's place...I might go back home... I just got a lot on my mind right now bro." He said.

"Well… If you ever want to talk, you got my number." Chase said.

"Same goes for me as well." R said.

"...Take care of yourself Milton." Sonna added.

"Yeah… Thanks guys…" He said before leaping off into the night sky.

"Wow...It really feels like Team Arsenal is back!" R said with a grin.

"We need to start sticking together. I've got a feeling that shitsabout to start hitting the fan." I said to them.

"Blake's right. We're all a team! We need to start keeping our allies close." Chase said. He then looked at Sonna. "No more secrets secrets. We need trust in our group."

Sonna nodded. "I'm one hundred percent on your side. I kinda missed you guys." She said while pulling him and R into a group hug. "I still remember our first mission together."

"Yeah… I'd rather not." Chase said.

"So what now?" R asked.

"I'm gonna head home AFTER I get these two back to their place." Chase said as he glared at the two small boys.

"Aww man…" Kevin muttered.

I nodded to him. "I think we should all head back home. Rest is important during these times. Who knows what JIN Corp. is planning. We know next to nothing about their organizations. If only we had a source to help us prepare."

"I might know a guy…" R said with his hands on the back of his head.

"Seriously?! Who do you know that has information on the largest bio-weapons manufacturing company and most successful and secretive underground mafia?" I asked.

R simply grinned at me.

(SHADOW'S POV)

"Will you calm the fuck down Raven! I'm telling you that I didn't do anything. What do I gotta lie for?" I said.

"Oh my fucking god Shawn! You're so full of shit! I know that you're hiding something from me. There was blood on the chainsaw! Why won't you just admit it?!" She asked.

"There's nothing to admit to. I'm not doing shit! Even if I was, which I'm not, it's none of your damn business." I said back to her.

"You know what? Fuck you Shawn! I'm done with your shit! I don't know what you're up to, but if you don't even trust your sister enough to fill her in, then I'm leaving!" She said with hostility.

"What?! Are you deadass right now? You are staying here!" I said to her as I grabbed her arm.

"Get off of me!" She said while pulling and tugging from my grasp. "I'm not living with an asshole like you! You're a piece of shit!" She yelled.

"Where are you gonna go, huh? Where the fuck are you gonna go?" I asked.

"...I might live with Stacy...or maybe even R!" She said.

My blood boiled. "HELL NO! HELL TO THE FUCK NO!" I snapped.

"At least I can trust them! You won't tell me a damn thing!" She huffed.

"I forbid you from going anywhere. Especially with those two!" I growled.

"Why not?!" She asked.

"You're not living with R! That's a big step and you're too young for that type of shit! As for Stacy. I don't trust her! I don't like how she acts around you! She's too..." I said.

"Too what? Go ahead and say it!" She demanded.

"She's too… intimate with you. I don't want you getting all inappropriate with either of those two. You're staying here!" I said.

"I can't fucking stand You! You always act like your my dad or something! Well news flash Shawn, he's a piece of shit just like you!" She yelled.

"Damnit Raven! Go to your fucking room! I'm done discussing this shit." I said losing my patients with the whole situation.

"You must've hit your head while sneaking around outside or something because your not the fucking boss of me!" She hissed.

"Goodnight Raven." I said, blowing her off.

"You can't be serious right now." She said with a roll of her eyes.

"GOODNIGHT Raven!" I growled.

She let out a scream and stormed up the stairs. "I fucking hate you Shawn!" She said angrily.

I sighed and grabbed a beer from the fridge. I plopped down on the couch and downed my bottle of beer in one chug. My temper soon got the best of me. I beamed the glass bottle and watched it shatter against the wall. I held my head in my hands and yelled.

(RAVEN'S POV)

I screamed into my pillow for about five minutes. Tears streamed down my face due to frustration. I quickly grabbed my phone and scrolled through my contacts. I looked long and hard at my R's contact number. I called him but he didn't pick up. I tried three more times only to get the same result.

"Time for my next option." I said. I dialed Stacy's number and listened as she picked up almost automatically.

"Raven? What's going on?" She asked me.

"Stacy...I need a place to stay for a little while." I said to her.


	68. Outside Your Boundaries

**Chapter 68**

(CHASE'S POV)

"Mickey?" I called out as I stepped inside of the house.

I heard sounds coming from the living room so that's where I decided to head to. As I got closer, I began to make out the sounds of unfamiliar voices all engaged in a conversation. I stepped inside and glanced at the different people.

"Chase?! Where the hell you been kid? And why are you so injured?" Mickey asked.

"It's nothing serious. I had to go out and protect a couple of kids." I said to him. I looked at the younger man with a orange and white hoodie, the woman with a navy blue suit, and a the old guy in a military uniform. "Who the hell are these guys?"

"I guess introductions are in order." Mickey said. He started with the older man. "This is General Wallace Shall."

"Pleasure to meet the son of Charles." The man said.

Mickey looked at the younger man. "This is Kenny. He was a little bit younger than you when he started to work with your father and I."

"Wow. Last time I saw you was when you were just born. You grew well since then. Man that's insane." Kenny said with a grin.

Mickey then looked at the woman with short black hair. "This is Gracia Thompson. You can identify her as my girlfriend." He said.

~ ** _SMACK_** ~

"Ex-girlfriend!" She said with a glare directed at him. "Anyway...How are you doing Chase?"

"I'm good...injuries aside…" I said with a shrug. "What are you guys doing here?" I asked.

"..." They all went silent. Judging by their facial features, I could tell that it wasn't something that they wanted to discuss. "Was it something I said?"

"No Chase…" Mickey spoke in a darker tone of voice.

"What the hell happened?" I asked. I was starting to get worried about the situation.

"We are dealing with a high leveled crisis, young man." Said the US General.

"Uh, yeah! I'm well aware of that. There's a goddamn cyborg freak killing people!" I said with frustration. "Why the hell didn't you help?! A ton of people died down in Time Square!" I shouted.

"CHASE!" Mickey yelled, signaling me to shut up.

"No Michael...I understand the boy's outburst. He has every right to be upset." General Shall looked at me with a hard expression. "Kid...You were at Atlanta, am I correct?" He asked.

"Yeah, what of it?" I replied.

"So you know about those mutated motherfuckers running around, feasting on human flesh, right?" He continued. I simply just nodded. "Now think about what happens when they spread up north and attack populated cities."

"What are you getting at old man?" I asked.

"The outbreak spread Chase. All the way to Pennsylvania!" Mickey said.

"W…What?! It's already that close?!" I said.

"Yes. We're running low on time. More and more people are dying and we can't stop it…" Mickey said with a sigh.

"SHIT!" I said as I slammed my fist against the wall. "This is not what I needed right now…"

"Damnit! If Charles and Maria were here...They'd have a plan to stop this. They could create an anti-serum or something. They'd be able to fix this mess." Kenny said sadly.

The others looked down with glum faces. I looked at them all with a confused expression. I didn't understand what all the talk was about. I mean I never got a chance to understand what they really did.

"Unfortunately, they're not here. We're on our own…" Gracia said.

"What would my parents do?" I asked.

"Chase, your parents were extremely smart people." Gracia spoke.

"Yeah, I'm well aware of that. My mom was a doctor and my dad was the creator of the Arsenal. That doesn't help me understand how they'd save the day." I said.

"Your pops was the leader of our little team. He always had a plan no matter how tough the threat was. Your mother was our moral compass. She kept us going when we thought it was the end. She was also very skilled with medicines and was able to whip up many different types of serums and antidotes." Kenny said as he placed a hand on my shoulder.

"I didn't know that she helped you and dad with your work." I said to Mickey.

"She was amazing. Your dad loved her and busted his ass to keep her safe. When she wanted to be closer to him and join the team, he wasn't having it. She eventually got him to let her join, after "persuading" him. From that point on, she became our personal doctor and our operator." Mickey said.

"Wow...I had no idea…" I smiled a bit, thinking about her.

"Yeah...She was pretty cool...But not as cool as my Gracia!" Mickey said, trying to get a hug from her. Needless to say, she punched the shit outta him.

"I wish I could've seen them both in action." I said.

"Have a seat Chase. I think it's story time." Mickey said.

"Oh god...I really don't think that's necessary…" I said.

"Nonsense! This is gonna be good. This happened a little bit after you were born. Your father and I had finally found the Yakuza's Los Angeles hideout." Mickey said.

"Oh, your talking about the Nakagami Raid." Kenny said.

"What were the Yakuza doing in Los Angeles?" I asked.

"Just sit down and listen." Mickey said.

-18 Years Ago-

(MICKEY'S POV)

~ ** _KNOCK KNOCK_** ~

I watched as a short, brown haired little boy opened the door. "Hey uncle Mickey!" He said.

I ruffled his hair and grinned. "How's ya doin kiddo!"

"I'm good. You need my dad?" He asked.

"Yeah, I do. Is he home?" I asked.

"He's in the living room with mom and the baby." He said.

I nodded and stepped inside. I stepped inside of the living room and glanced at my brother, his wife, and his youngest son. "Hey Charlie! Hey Maria!" I greeted them.

"Michael? What are you doing here?" Charles asked.

"Aww...You didn't even miss your little brother?" I said with fame sadness.

"Get to the point, Michael." He said.

"I got word that the Yakuza tracked us down all the way back to the States. They followed us to California and set up shop in LA." I informed.

"Damnit!" Charles grumbled. "I just can't get a goddamn break." He looked at his youngest son and sighed. "Call Kenny and Gracia...Victor as well." He told me.

"You sure? We can probably take them on our own." I said.

"No point in trying to risk it. I want to handle this in the quickest way possible. Plus, Kenny could use the experience." He replied.

"You got something planned for later?" I asked.

"I'd like to take my wife out to dinner. She's been through a lot lately." Charles said.

"Oh would you relax Charlie. I'm fine. No need to trouble yourself with me." Maria spoke as she cradled her sleeping child.

"Nonsense. You deserve a little break from the kids." He said to her before looking at me. "You won't mind watching the boys after we get back do you?" He asked me.

"Not a problem. Just don't make a habit out of it." I said with a grin.

He nodded. "Go contact the others. We need to end this tonight." Charles said.

"And just like that, you're back to serious work mode." I chuckled.

I brought out my phone and dialed up Kenny first.

"Hello?" He said.

"Yeah, guess what ya little turd blossom. You get to go on another mission!" I said to him.

"Oh...Yeah I'm, kinda stuck at work right now…" Kenny said uneasily.

"Stuck at work?! This is work!" I said.

"Well the rent on my apartment is overdue and I never got paid from the last job!" He said back with an annoyed tone.

"...Well you'll never get paid with that attitude." I muttered.

"Screw off Michael! I gotta pay my rent. I refuse to live on the street because you keep laying me off!" He yelled before hanging up.

"Wow...For a seventeen year old...He's pretty stressed out." I said to Charles.

"Well you did forget to pay him his cut." Maria said.

"...Let's try Gracia!" I said, changing the subject. I dialed her number and waited for a response.

"What Mickey?" She said.

"Hey baby! Look, Charlie and I got a mission and we-"

"Not tonight. I gotta pick up something for my sister's wedding." She said.

"GODDAMNIT! How long is that gonna-"

"Bye Mickey!" She said before hanging up.

"Looks like Gracia is out…" I said.

"Fine. I guess we'll just handle it ourselves." Charles sighed.

"We got this!" I said.

"Yeah yeah yeah…" He said to me before turning to his eldest son. "Devon, I need you to look after mommy and your little brother, ok."

"I'll protect them with my life!" The boy said.

"...Good boy…" Charles said. He looked at me and nodded to the door. I nodded back to him and we took off.

-Thirty Minutes Later-

Charles parked the Chevrolet outside of a small warehouse and glared.

"Let's make this quick." He said.

"Don't we always?" I said back as I grabbed my katana from the back seat.

Charles loaded his revolvers and stepped outta the car. "Let's move!"

-Present-

(CHASE'S POV)

"Needless to say, we fucked those assholes up." Mickey said.

"...What happens next?!" I asked with a glare.

"Oh, I didn't what the story to drag on so I shortened it." He said.

"Just tell me the fucking rest!" I snapped.

"Fine!" He sighed.

-Back to the Past-

(MICKEY'S POV)

After slaughtering about a hundred Asian goons, Charles decided to snag one for a quick interrogation.

~ ** _BANG_** ~

He shot the bald man in his right knee cap. The man dropped to the floor and held his brand new wound.

"Speak English?!" Charles asked aggressively.

"Y...Yes!" The man gasped.

Charles lifted him up by the collar and thrusted him against the wall. "Good! I need you to tell me where your boss is!"

"He's downstairs! You'll never get to him though. They're all waiting for you two." The man smirked. "You'll be killed on sight."

"Thanks for the heads up…" I said before stabbing him in the chest.

Charles looked at me with a cautious expression. "Can you handle roughly fifty guys with potentially fully automatic assault rifles?"

"I'm hurt that you would ask such a question, dear brother. Step aside." I ran through the double doors with my blade unsheathed. As the guards all fired on sight, I deflected the bullets with multiple swings of my katana.

Charles covered my rear and took out any stragglers. Once we descended down the many flights of stairs, we approached a large room. A tall man with a receding hairline turned and faced us. He wore an eye patch over his left eye. He tapped his cigar and stared at us.

"So you came…" He said.

"No shit. It was either we come to you, or you come hunt us down." I spat back at him.

"So what do the two of you plan to do now. You've infiltrated my American HQ with ease, murdered my men and have me backed into a corner." He said.

"How's about you take a trip on my fucking sword." I said.

"You came to America looking for a fight. You only have yourself to blame Mizaku." Charles said with his trademark scowl.

"Are my actions not justified? You come to MY country, take MY research, and leave me with this GODDAMN SCAR!" He shouted while pointing to his injured eye.

"This is just not your year buddy…" I said.

"I refuse to die from you weak willed American trash!" He shouted as he pulled out a glock and shot a bullet at Charles. Charles quickly drew his revolver and shot a counter bullet.

"Nice try you son of a bitch." Charles said with a sigh. "Michael...If you'd kindly handle things from here. I'll meet you back at the house."

"Whatever you say, boss…" I nodded.

-Present-

(CHASE'S POV)

"And that was that." Mickey finished.

"...What did that have to do with anything?!" I asked.

"Absolutely nothing! The point is, I was a badass in my day and you can be one too. You are your father's son." He said.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "That was the most USELESS story ever. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go to bed. I feel like I've been neglecting sleep lately. Besides...I need a plan to save Masha...Goddamnit!"

"Well that's nice and all, but when's the last time you even went to school? I keep getting truancy letters." Mickey said.

"...Yeah um...My bad...I've been going through a lot of shit." I said with a shrug.

"Please start going back to school Chase. I'm not trying to go back to court." He said.

"Yeah...I'll make a note of that." I said.

(SHADOW'S POV)

I walked up the stairs and towards Raven's room with a plate in my hands. I stopped in front of her door and sighed. "Look...I'm real sorry Jane...I shouldn't keep treating you like a little kid. You're growing up and I guess I'm just not ready to see that yet. I want you to be happy but more than anything, I want you to be safe. I may have some secrets, but that's just so that we can live comfortably. I know you don't understand yet but you will. I promise that I'll tell you one of these days...just not today." I said.

"..." There was no response. I didn't think she was this upset.

"I'm gonna come inside now. I got some bagel bites for you. I didn't want to send you to bed without something to eat." I said. I went to turn the knob only for it to stay stiff. "Can you...unlock the door?"

"Damnit Raven! I said that I was sorry! C'mon and open up!" I snarled. I was slowly losing control of my temper.

"Last chance before I kick it down!" I warned.

"Fine then…" I muttered. I stepped back and thrusted my foot into the door knob, flinging the door wide open. Once I got a look at the empty room, I dropped the plate of Bengal bites on the floor. "She didn't…" I muttered angrily.

I looked on her bed and saw her phone which was crushed beyond repair and a note next to it.

 _Dear Shawn_

 _You're an asshole and I'm just about done with you. I said that I was leaving and I meant it. I left my phone behind so that you wouldn't get Sigma to track it and I destroyed it to stop you from checking it. You know, because I can't trust you. I'm gonna be out doing my own thing for a while. If you follow me, I'll kick your ass._

 _PS- I took the Arsenal. Since you NOT doing anything secretive behind my back, it shouldn't matter._

 _PS#2- Note the sarcasm…_

I stared at the note for a couple of minutes, then at her destroyed phone. "...Raven...YOU GODDAMN, MOTHERFUCKING BITCH!!!"

(RAVENS POV)

"Thanks for letting me crash here Stacey. I really needed to get away from Shawn. He's being such a fucking dick. I just couldn't handle it anymore." I said to her.

"Yeah, I get it. You don't have to worry about a thing. You can stay here for as long as you like." She said a little more flirty than I expected.

"So...Where do I sleep?" I asked.

"It's up to you. I don't really have a lot of space though." She said with a shrug.

"No, it's fine. I'll just take the couch then." I told her.

After I settled in and relaxed, Stacey decided to order Chinese food for us. We mostly sat around and watched a shit ton of Netflix. Even though she was trying to keep my cheerful, my thoughts kept drifting to Shawn. I wish he'd just grow a pair and tell me what's going on instead of leaving me in the dark. I was so angry that I just couldn't stand to be under the same roof as him. I needed to talk to someone.

"You alright Raven?" Stacey asked, getting extremely close to my face which caused me to blush a bit.

"Y...Yeah, I was just thinking about something." I said.

"Was it your brother again?" She asked as if she already knew the answer.

"...Yeah." I said to her.

"You need something to get your mind off of him." She said as she held a look of thought.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well...I dunno. You seem so stressed out and tense." She said. She was right. I was tensed. I wanted answers.

"I am kinda stressed out." I said back to her. Then a thought occurred to me. "Wait, Stacey. Can I use your phone for a second?"

"Uh...sure…" She nodded.

I grabbed her phone and started dialing away. Once I typed in the correct number, I hit call.

"...Uh...Hello? I think you got the wrong number…" Said a voice that I was glad to hear.

"No R, it's me. My phone is broken so I'm using my friend's." I explained before he could hang up.

"Oh, ok. Well then...Whatcha need baby?" He asked.

"Are you busy?" I asked.

"Sort of. I just got back from a mission. I'm wiped out right now." He said.

"You mind coming down here tomorrow morning?"

"Not at all, my sweet. Where's your friend's house?" He asked.

"Wesley Apartments. Building three, room 154." I said to him

"Oh...that's pretty far. Any reason in particular? Not that it matters. I'd go to the ends of the Earth for you!" He said quickly. I loved him.

"It's just that...We gotta talk…" I said nervously.

"..." He went silent. Before he could reply, I hung up the phone.

"Who was that?" Stacey asked me.

"Oh, that was just R." I told her.

"Oh...him…" She said with disgust.

"Yeah…" I responded with a awkward grin.

"What's so good about a guy named Rodman?!" She asked.

"R is… I don't know… He's a lot of things. I can't explain why I love him some much. I just do. He's goofy, in a cute kind of way. A way that makes me smile."

"Tell me something Raven. Does he make you feel good?" She asked.

This made my face heat up a bit. "What are you talking about?!"

"C'mon Raven. R is kind of a wimp. I can tell that he hasn't even made any moves on you yet." Stacey said with a raised brow.

"It's not like Shawn ever gave him a chance. He's pretty much got R watching his back all the damn time. He never leaves us alone. He sleeps with Beth all the time and yet he constantly lectures me about sex. It's so fucking annoying!" I yelled.

"I'm sensing some hostility coming from you." Stacey said before moving behind me and rubbing my shoulders. "Relax Raven. You don't have to worry about that now. Shadow isn't here now so there's nothing holding you back." She whispered in my ear.

"But...What if R's ready and I'm not? I don't wanna disappoint him…" I said back to her.

"Then why don't we practice a little." She said seductively.

"I don't know...if I should do that." I whimpered.

"Why not?" She asked before nibbling on my ear.

"B...Because...I'll be cheating on him!" I gasped.

"You're not cheating on him. You're practicing for him. There's a big difference." She said.

She moved back in front of me and straddled herself against my hips. This was getting outta hand but a part of me really wanted to see where this was going. It felt dirty but it also gave me a bit of a rush. Shawn wasn't here to dictate my life anymore so I was free to do whatever the hell I wanted to. If this was just practice for R then I say screw it.

"Yeah...You're right…" I said back to her.

"Then what are you waiting for?" She asked.

I kissed her lips gently and snaked my arms around her waist. She pulled herself closer to me and moved herself forcefully. My mind went blank and I started to get more and more physical. Deep down, I was saying that this was messed up, but I didn't want to stop. I let out a small moan as she rubbed her hands against me.

She pulled away and smiled at me. I looked back with a flustered look. Kissing another girl was weird to me, but it was the sense of doing something without Shawn stopping me that edged me on. I liked the sense of control that I had over my own life.

"Wow...This is just...wow…" She said.

"So you like this type of thing?" She asked with a smirk.

"I mean...It's a little strange…" I said with a small blush on my face. I hated feeling embarrassed. The only other person that I really ever kissed like this was R, but even then, he never took it too far. I guess that'll change tomorrow.

"Don't worry about that. You'll start to get used to it. Look at me. I used to date a lot of guys until I realized something." She spoke.

"What?" I asked her.

"They just don't excite me anymore. You on the other hand. You're different. You're a kick ass chick that's been sheltered by her big brother. Seeing you step out your comfort zone is so fucking hot to me!" Stacey said as she tossed her shirt off.

"I thought that you were helping me with R…" I said with a raised eyebrow.

"I am. So far, you're doing great! I just need a little fun is all." She said.

"Don't you have a girlfriend or something?" I asked.

"Afraid not. I don't really feel like looking for another chick that's down for this. When you called me, I almost flipped my shit." She said.

"I can't tell if you're really helping me, or just using me…" I muttered.

"It's a little of both. Now, onto your next lesson." She said as she grabbed my black tank top.

"What're you doing?!" I asked with panic.

"Would you chill out! You won't get anywhere with this on." She said with another seductive smirk.

(R'S POV)

I dropped the phone on the floor. My heart practically sank into my ass. I heard those three dreaded words.

 _We gotta talk…_

"SHIT! I can't believe it! Why would she just dump me?! I...I was a good boyfriend, right Chipper?" I asked my cat.

~Meow~

"Maybe I wasn't good enough for a goddess like her. Maybe she wanted a real man! One that could kick her brothers ass and sweep her off her feet. What if she got with some 6"9 dude and he's Hulk smashing her right now?! Oh god, why! WHY GOD?! Haven't you punished me enough? Why do you continue to fuck me over?!" I shouted.

I threw my face into my pillow and shouted. Thankfully it was just me and Chipper. I didn't want anyone to hear me crying like a little kid. I couldn't help it though. I lucked out with Raven. I still don't know what she saw in a wimp like me. She was so perfect! She was tough so she could handle herself in a fight. She was smart as all living crap. She watched anime just like me! Not even just that mainstream shit! She actually went to Comic-Con with me and enjoyed it! To top it all off, she was a dope ass gamer. I still remember how we first met.

-Five Months Ago-

"C'mon...c'mon...GODDAMNIT!" I shouted as I threw my controller at the floor. I hated losing in Tekken. It pissed me off.

A message appeared on my screen from **Sh4dowR4v3n 58**. I looked at it with a sceptical look. Once I opened it, my blood boiled.

 _Get gud u frekin skrub._

I glared at my TV screen and damn near punched it. I picked up my Xbox one controller and began typing a message back.

 _You suck goat balls! Kys you fag!_

I glared on the screen as I awaited their response.

 _I **will** keep myself safe. You on the other hand can go take ur shitty skills off of Tekken_

I narrowed my eyes and started typing again.

 _U fukin spammed the whole time. U suk! Ur mom hates U! Die in a pit_

They typed back something that caught me off guard.

 _I killed that bitch. Meanwhile, ur mom is probably sucking the pubes off ur dads dick right now_

I clenched the controller with hatred. I couldn't take it anymore.

 _Fight me! I'm ready right now pussy! I live right down the street from Central Park!_

I threatened them. A little Arsenal usage should teach them not to talk shit online. I was ready to fuck this guy up.

 _Oh wow. Now the 12 yr old wants to fight me. I hope ur ready to get ur ass kicked. I'll be there in thirty minutes._

They said back. I smirked and grabbed my Arsenal.

"Wish me luck Chipper. Not that I'll need it." I said to him as I ran out the door.

-At the Park-

I sat on the park bench waiting for my opponent. No one was here due to it being like eleven at night.

I looked around for any signs of the shit talker until my eyes stumbled on a rather pretty looking girl. She was walking towards me with a bitter look on her face.

"Oh no…" I muttered to myself. Please God don't let this be her.

The girl stopped in front of my and glared. "Are you **RodtheGod**?" She asked.

"Uh...Maybe…" I said nervously. I was not prepared for this. This was just not my day.

"Hmm...I see that my prediction of you being a twelve year old was accurate…" She grumbled.

"I'm actually sixteen so…" I corrected.

"Wow...You're short...Wait a minute...You're that weird kid that always sits with that blonde senior girl at lunch. What is she like, your girlfriend or something?" She asked.

"Who Sonna? No way. She's like my older sister." I said to her.

"Right...So about this fight…" She said with a dark expression.

"I uh...Well you see…" I began to stutter. I was hoping that she'd forget about that. I was expecting a tall douche muffin, or a nerd like me. I didn't expect to come face to face with a beautiful girl like her.

"See what? A bitch sitting on a bench trying to avoid an ass beating." She remarked.

"I can't fight you...You're-"

"What? A fucking girl?! Believe me, I can handle some stupid wimpy guy like you!" She said. If only she knew.

"No! I was...gonna say that you're...really pretty. I didn't know that girls like you could kick ass in Tekken. It caught me by surprise." I said. Sweat was dripping down my forehead.

Her face seemed to lose it's aggressive nature. At least that's what I thought. "Don't think that bullshit is gonna save you!" She snapped. I saw her cheeks were slightly red and her tone seemed uneasy.

"I'm dead serious! Y...you're just...really pretty…" I stuttered.

"...I'm leaving now…" She said awkwardly.

"...Yeah...me too." I said.

I got up from the bench and started to walk off when she stopped me. "You still suck." She said.

I glared at her. "At least I don't fucking spam!"

-Present-

"I'll never meet another girl like that again! Why does my life have to suck all the time?!" I yelled.

Going to sleep that night was damn near impossible. Thoughts of Raven leaving me kept clouding my thoughts. I needed her but I guess that she didn't need me…

-En La Mañana-

(RAVEN'S POV)

So many different emotions were swirling around in my head. I couldn't shake the various thoughts from my head. Things went wild when Stacey brought out the drinks. I knew I wasn't supposed to drink but given the fact that Shawn would drink all the time and he was under age, I didn't really care.

We were currently sleeping on the air mattress that she brought out in the living room. I looked at the time on the cable box.

 _9:32 am_

I sighed and held my head. "Jesus Christ I have a headache." I groaned with annoyance. I looked at Stacey as she turned in her sleep. Last night wasn't all that bad. It all just felt different. It was a new experience.

~ ** _KNOCK KNOCK_** ~

I heard two slow knocks at the door. My eyes went wide. I forgot that R was supposed to come over here. I flew off of the air mattress and scrambled for some clothes. I grabbed my hoodie and zipped it up, completely neglecting my shirt. I threw on my grey sweatpants and bolted for the door. Once I opened it, I was at a loss for word. R stood there with puffy eyes and snot dripping from his nose.

"R, what happened?!" I asked.

He threw himself at me and sobbed into my chest. "P...Pl...please d...don't...break up...with...m...me!" He begged.

I stared at him confused. "What are you talking about?"

"Y...You said that...we had...to talk…" He sniffled.

"R, I'm not dumping you…" I said. I did feel a slight tinge of guilt in my chest.

"Y...you're not?!" He asked with a hopeful expression.

"No. I called you here for...something else." I was starting to get flustered again.

"Why?" His innocent face was just plain adorable.

I leaned in and whispered in his ear. I watched his face lighten up completely. He was red as a tomato and he had a fat grin on his face.

"You really mean it?!" He asked.

I nodded to him and pulled him inside. I was gonna have a real hard time explaining to him about Stacey but I'm pretty sure that it'll all work out.


	69. Deal or No Deal

**Chapter 69**

(R'S POV)

I couldn't shake the redness from my face as I laid next to Raven and her friend in nothing but my birthday suit. It was the afternoon already and we had been getting out of control. Watching her kissing and grinding against her friend got me feeling "active". Once me and her went at it, I released all of my pent up frustration. I showed no mercy whatsoever. I was just glad to finally see what it felt like to actually have sex. I won't lie, I'm lowkey addicted to her body now.

Even though I didn't regret what I did with her and Stacy, I still felt a tinge of guilt. Shadow and I were becoming pretty good friends regardless of whether or not he'd admit it, but I just went behind his back and slept with his sister! Maybe he'd understand...or maybe he'll beat me into a bloody paste…

I looked down and saw Stacy and Raven's head on my small chest. Stacy was snoring quietly and Raven had a smile on her face. I grinned at her and hugged her tightly. I grabbed my phone in order to check the time.

"3:34…" I muttered. I also noticed that I had three missed calls from Blake and a message from Shadow. I decided to read the message first but immediately regretted it after I saw it.

 _Stay away from my sister R. She might ask you to come and see her, but I want you to avoid her. She's not ready for anything like that yet. Instead, I want you to keep tabs on her for me in order to make sure she's safe. I gotta take care of something._

I sighed and decided that I should leave before I made another mistake that I couldn't erase. I made a move to get up but was stopped by Raven as she held me tighter.

"Don't go…" She said softly.

"I have to. Something came up and I need to go talk to Blake." I said.

She nuzzled her head in under my chin and sighed.

"Can't you stay for a few more minutes?" She asked.

I looked at her. She was so pretty and I couldn't help but give in to request. "Fine...Just a few more…" I said to her.

She smiled at me and moved her head forward and kissed me. It was times like this that made my feel good about myself. I couldn't help myself. My judgment was in the toilet whenever I saw her. I'd give in to any of her demands. She was just too good for me.

We stayed like that for another ten minutes. It was at that time when I got another phone call. I picked up and heard Blake's paranoid voice.

"R! Finally! It's about time you picked up! Where are you?!" He asked frantically.

"Oh...uh I'm with...my girlfriend…" I said uneasily.

"R! People are dying right now and you're dicking around with your girl?! I need you at the Gilded Run Mall, now!" He said.

"What happened?!" I asked.

"Rival assassins. They're attacking people for no fucking reason! I'm with Sonna and Midnight right now but we need back up! I can't get into contact with Chase, so I need you and Raven to get the fuck down her NOW!!!" He yelled before hanging up the phone.

"Who was that?" Raven asked.

"Blake. We need to go. Both of us!" I said. She sensed the urgency in my voice and nodded to me. I got up and put my clothes on. Raven followed suit and grabbed her Arsenal. We walked out the front door and wasted no time in heading out.

(SHADOW'S POV)

I stood in front of the blue, two story house. I sighed but knocked on the front door. I waited on the front porch until it suddenly flung open.

"...The fuck are you doing here?" Chase asked with a confused expression.

"I need to talk to you. You mind if I come in?" I asked.

He shrugged and walked off, leaving the door open. I was assuming that it was ok to just walk in so I did. I closed the door behind me and headed into the living room. He was sitting on the couch watching some random cartoon. I took a seat on a red chair and sighed to him.

"What the hell do you want?" He asked before stuffing his face with potato chips.

"Look, I'm gonna jump straight to the point. I need you to hand over the Kevin Gates kid." I said bluntly.

He ceased his eating and narrowed his eyes at me. "If that's what you're here for then you can just leave now. I'm not giving you that kid!"

"Listen Chase, this is important! I need to find that kid in order to make things right." I told him, intentionally avoiding the real reason. It was obvious that he cared about the kid so I couldn't tell him that I needed to use the kid in order to bribe a crime lord.

"No! Fuck off!" He growled.

"Please Chase! I swear to you that he'll be safe when this is all said and done. I'm just bringing him somewhere…" I said.

"Where exactly are you taking him? I feel like I'm obligated to know as his temporary guardian." Chase said with a scowl.

"I need to bring him back to J.I.N Corp." I said.

"...Get the fuck outta my house! I'm not gonna let you hand him over to that rich maniac!" He hissed.

"Chase, he'll be fine! I just need to negotiate with John and get something from him. Nothing with happen to the kid." I said getting desperate.

"What do you need so badly that you're willing to put a child at risk?!" He was furious as hell.

"I need my payment. He owes me a shit ton of money and I need it in order to support me and my sister." I said sadly, remembering what happened between me and Raven. I lost her trust just so that we could live without any worries. I was doing this for her.

Chase got up and stomped over to me with a glare. He grabbed me by the collar and snarled. "I'll come with you to this little negotiation. If anything goes wrong and something happens to that boy, I'm gonna fuck you up myself!" He said with dead seriousness.

"He'll be fine!" I said while pushing him off of me. "Now if you're coming, then wear something presentable and not threatening." I told him.

He reached into his pocket and grabbed his Arsenal. He ended up in a white suit. With his hair neatly trimmed. "Don't worry about me…"

I nodded to him. "Ok...Now where's the kid?" I asked.

"He's with his foster family right now. He's about twenty minutes away." He answered.

"Right...Let's go…" I said.

(MIDNIGHT'S POV)

I chucked a tomahawk at the my target only for it to miss. The bastard with the double machetes grinned at me and jumped up with his blades raised.

Sonna had kicked him outta the sky sending him crashing into a nearby Victoria's Secret. She was then tackled by a female assassin and sent into a fountain.

I looked back and saw Blake taking on that tailed freak, Jackal and the guy with a half mask. He looked like he was having trouble so I ran to go back him up but was stopped by the man that killed Karren. I glared at him and he smirked back.

"You know, it's kinda funny." He said.

"What are you talking about you piece of shit?!" I asked aggressively.

He chuckled and sent me a deranged smirk. "I'm about to kill Chase's other best friend!" He ran at me and swung his large blades at me. I dipped and dodged each attack until I saw an opening. I jabbed his ribs and struck his jaw with an uppercut. He smirked at that and decided to toss a machete at me. The blade embedded itself into my left shoulder. I winced as I yanked it out.

"I'm gonna make you pay for what you did to Karren!" I shouted.

"Really? I find that highly improbable." He said before shoving the boot in my face. I landed flat on my back and grit my teeth. "You know, it's a shame that chase left and joined your group. As his big brother, I wished to spend more time with him. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to convince him next time we meet."

"He's not going back with you assholes!" I said. I had crawled back to my feet and glared at him.

"Don't be so sure, kid." He grinned at me again.

I ran up and drop kicked him into an atm. He lifted the machine and threw it at me. I jumped over it and punched him in the face. He flew back and held his nose. I materialized my FN FAL and busted shots at him. He ran circles on me to avoid the heavy bullets. He then slid to a halt and brought out two Berettas and fired back two bullets that struck me. One in the right arm and one in the left leg. This caused to kneel. I glared up at the bastard and snarled. He walked up to me and pointed one of the guns at me.

"Lights out kid…" He said.

I clenched my eyes closed and waited for the shot to come. That is, until a large golden fist smashed against the man's face. He flew back a few yards and crashed into a large wall on the other end of the mall. I looked up to see R and his girl standing in front of me.

"Thank God we got here in time. We were almost too late." R said. He looked back at me with a childish grin. "You alright, buddy?"

"Yeah...I'm all good." I said.

"Alright just relax. Let me and Raven take this guy down!" He said. I nodded to him before they sprung into action.

(CHASE'S POV)

"Mr. Chase...What's gonna happen to me when we get there?" The little boy asked.

"Just try to relax kid. I won't let anything happen to you. We just need to help out our...friend, Shadow." I told him.

"Is this like some kinda secret mission?!" He asked.

"Sorta. Now before we get there, I need you to remember a couple of things. Firstly, I want you to stay by me at all times. Secondly, I want you to keep yourself quiet. No matter what you here in there, I want you to leave to talking to the grown ups." Goddamn I sound like a fucking parent.

"Ok." Kevin said with a nod.

"Good." I looked up at Shadow with narrowed eyes. He gave me a sorry expression but I ignored it.

"Everything will be fine. Just stick to the plan." He said.

We stopped in front of the large building and looked at each other one last time before walking in. The building was clean and had a glossy, modern look to it. Shadow walked up to the receptionist.

"I need to see John." He said bluntly.

The lady at the desk looked up and smiled. "Hello Mr. Price. The boss has been awaiting your arrival." She said.

Shadow narrowed his eyes. "...Is that a fact?"

"He's in the boardroom with the rest of the J.I.N Corp executives." She said.

"Thanks Selina." He nodded to her. He looked back at me and Kevin. "C'mon you two." He said.

I put Kevin's hood up and gave him shades and a bandana to put on his face. "Wear that and remember to keep a low profile. We're undercover." I said to him.

"I feel like a real ass mothafucka!" The kid said happily. Maybe I did swear too much around him.

We all got into the first open elevator that we could. As we rode it to the top, Shadow gave us one more look. "Remember, I can handle the bribes and negotiations. Just stay back and watch yourselves."

"Yeah, whatever…" I muttered. We got to the top and walked down the hallway to the big, golden doors. "The bastard sure is eccentric…"

"Here goes nothing." Shadow pushed the doors open.

In the room was a group of people. A brown haired light skinned woman with glasses on. Next to her was a middle eastern man with his short hair dyed bright red. Sitting across from him was an light skinned Asian man that had blue dreadlocks. His feet were on the table as he messed around on his phone. At the head of the table was a man in a red and white pinstripe suit on. His matching fedora and dark glasses made his appearance all the more mysterious.

"Shawn Price...It's so good to see you." He said. I took note of the gold revolver next to him on the table.

"John…" Shadow retorted.

"I see that you've brought guests with you. Please have a seat." He said. We all sat down and kept harsh looks at the people in the room with us. Shadow kept his gaze locked onto John. "So what brings you here my boy?"

"You know what I want John. Where's my fucking pay cut? That is literally all I want. Give me what I'm owed!" Shadow growled.

John sighed and folded his hands together. "I'm very disappointed that we have to once again partake in this discussion, Shawn."

"Then give me my goddamn money!" Shawn barked with visible irritation.

"Hmph...I can't do that kiddo. You see...I'm a businessman. I need to maintain a suitable profit in order for my "company" to grow at an acceptable rate. My hands are tied Shawn. I have to look at the bigger picture. I have to think of J.I.N Corp." John said.

Shadow seethed with intense rage. "You're...a piece...of shit! While you're eating lobster tail with fucking caviar, I'm out here doing your fucking dirty work!"

"Please calm down Shawn. I can see where you're coming from and I can under why you're mad right now." John said calmly as he pulled out a wad of cash. He tossed it to Shadow and snickered. "There, now get yourself something nice."

"...Five hundred dollars?! Where's the other $499,500 at?!" Shawn asked with a glare.

"I'm afraid that you'll have to work a little harder for that. You can start by taking out this guy-"

"FUCK NO! You owe me John! I need this cash and I'm not leaving here without it!" Shawn cut him off.

"Is that so…" John muttered. With swift speed, John turned around, grabbed the revolver and shot a bullet at Shawn. I got up quickly and caught the bullet in between my fingers. Everyone in the room minus John and Shadow stared at me with shock.

"Thanks…" Shadow said with a nod. He looked back at John and glared. "What now John. As you can see, I'm not dicking around."

"I had a feeling that I saw you from somewhere." John said to me. "Yes...I remember now...You're the guy that slaughtered Randall and his entire crew. That means that you're apart of the AoF."

"Yeah...What of it?" I spoke.

"How interesting…" John said.

"Enough! John you'd better pay up or my friend here is gonna duff your stupid ass!" Shadow growled.

"You honestly think that I'm afraid of a chump with an Arsenal? I've seen it all before…" John said.

"How about I make you a deal then John? I know you just love to negotiate." Shadow smirked.

"...What could you possibly hope to bribe me with?" He asked, amused by the thought.

I narrowed my eyes at both of them. I guess it's time for the plan to start.

"You miss your son, don't you?" Shadow said.

"...What do you mean?"

"Don't play dumb with me Jonathan. I know that you know what I mean. Kevin Gates...or should I say Kevin Tuckerson!" He spoke as he removed the boys mask and shades.

John's eyes widened and he removed his glasses and stared at the boy. "Kevin…" He muttered.

Kevin looked around with clear confusion. "Uh...Who are you?"

"It's me Kevin...Your father…" John said.

"Dad...But I thought that you...Mom said…" I could see Kevin getting emotional and decided to let him have a moment.

"Come to me my son. Let me hold you…" John said calmly. Kevin hopped out of his seat and ran to his father. He hugged him tightly and John returned the gesture. "Shawn...Where'd you find him?!"

"I didn't. He did." Shawn said, pointing to me.

John looked at me with shock. "Who would've thought…You're mister Chase Hawthorne. I've heard so much about you. You were the one that rescued my son."

"Yeah, about that...Why the fuck did you leave your family in the first place? And what the fuck were you thinking when you dropped that gas bomb in Atlanta?!" I asked.

"When I left my family, it was for work. I had a conference and couldn't delay it any further...As for the outbreak...I know it may seem unlikely but I didn't plan for that to happen when I dropped the gas. It was meant to cleanse the city of the widespread heart virus. The gas should've been tested longer but I failed to do so."

"So what? Am I supposed to believe that you're some kind of saint now? You're a goddamn mafia boss!" I said.

"I'm not asking for forgiveness. Only for a chance to redeem myself." He said.

"And how do you plan to do that?" I asked.

John looked back at his son then to the woman with the glasses. "Irene, go and show Kevin to the snack lounge."

The woman walked over to Kevin. "Please, come with me Kevin. I'll get you a few doughnuts." She said.

"Do you have chocolate glazed?! Those are the best!" Kevin said.

"Let's go see." She said as she walked him out.

John's look turned dark as he stared at both me and Shadow. "Ok...I need that boy. He is essential for stopping this outbreak. You must understand that!"

"No way in hell I'm gonna give up the kid if he's gonna end up hurt!" I barked. Shadow placed a hand on me and sighed.

"You need to try harder than that John…" Shadow said.

"Fine...Shadow, I'll pay you fifteen million dollars for my son…" He said which caused Shadow to jumped with shock.

"FIFTEEN MILLION?!" He shouted.

"As for you Chase...I believe that I can help you out as well...Jackie...go and get the girl." He said to the blue haired man. My eyes widened and my heart started beating faster. He couldn't possibly mean Masha, right?

Moments later, my thoughts were confirmed. The Jackie guy ended up walking back with a tied up girl in an orange hoodie. Her blue hair looked messy and she was frantically squirming around to free herself of the restraints. Her mouth had duck tape placed on it in an attempt to keep her quiet. She sent a glare at John.

"Masha!" I called to her. She looked at me with a surprised face.

"You hand over my son Chase, and she's all yours. I had to pull some strings with her father but I figured that it was worth it in order to have my child." He said.

"Motherfucker! How dare you hold her hostage!" I growled.

"I'm giving you the chance to leave with her. She'll once again be all yours." John smirked. My glare only intensified at his offer. I had to either give up the kid or give up my girlfriend...FUCK THAT!

"I think I'll take them both!" I said as I went Arsenal. I kicked the large table out of the way and glared at him. "I refuse to let you hurt Kevin and I'm not giving away my girl so you can take your bullshit deal and shove it up your ass!" I snapped.

Shadow stood up and tried to hold me back. "What the hell are you doing?! You were supposed to stick to the plan!"

"Fuck the plan! The situation changed! He has Masha!" I shouted at him.

"Look, I need the money and you need your girl. I say we just do as he says…" Shadow said to me.

I pushed him off of me and stomped over to John. "New deal...You give them both up and you won't have to go out looking for your teeth!"

"Bad move kid…" John snapped his fingers and grinned. "I always win in the end. Jackie, Muhammad, show Mr. Chase what happens to people that cross me."

The Jackie guy brought out brass knuckles. Muhammad pulled out a knife. I scoffed. "You think I can't handle two fucking goons?" I asked.

"You'd be surprised about what we can do…" Jackie said.


	70. Crumble

Chapter 70

(CHASE'S POV)

I was laid out against the wall holding my head. I looked up and saw the piece of shit bastard that hit me was hovering over me with a wicked grin.

"You should've just taken the deal. John even left you with the opportunity to leave with your girl. Your dumbass just blew it. Congratulations." The man said to me.

"F...fuck you…" I snarled. I lifted myself up and prepared myself to fight back.

"It's futile. You can't beat us by yourself kid." He said as he brought out an aluminum bat.

"I won't let you pricks take them!" I yelled before readying myself.

"Damn you Chase! You messed everything up!" Shadow barked at me.

"Fuck off you rotten asshole! There's no way I'd give up my girl or the kid that I was supposed to protect!"

"Dumbass motherfucker…" The Asian man said with a shake of his head.

"I'm not screwing around anymore!" I growled as I brought out my chain sickles. I ran at the Asian man and slashed his chest before kicking him away. I turned and threw the other at the Arabian guy. The blade embedded itself into his shoulder and I pulled him right in my fist.

"Looks like this guy is pissed." The Arabian guy chuckled as he snapped his nose back into place.

I glared at him. I watched as Shadow came up behind him and body slammed him to the ground. He stomped his head into the floor, knocking him out.

The Asian guy looked at him with wide eyes. "Ok shit…"

"Well, the situation is already fucked. I guess plan B is still an option." Shadow huffed.

"You sure you're good to fight them?" I asked.

"I'm fine. I hope you know, you owe me millions of dollars if I don't get it from John." He said.

"Fuck off…" I muttered as I ran at the Asian man.

I threw a punch but he dodged it and attempted at counter. Shadow tackled him into a filing cabinet and slammed his head into it. The man pushed Shadow off of him and sent him a hook to the jaw. Shadow's knees buckled and he stumbled back.

I took the chance to send a boot into his face. He dropped to the floor and I continued kicking his face it until it was bruised and bloody. He slumped down to the side, passed out.

Shadow flared and snapped his jaw back into place. "Bastard would get one lick in…"

"...I need to get the kid back." I said. "Right...but first…" I walked back into the boardroom and untied Masha. On instinct, she hugged me tightly and sobbed into my chest. "You're fine. I would never leave you."

She looked at me with a worried expression. "You have to go!"

"Not without you. Now come on!" I said as I started walking off. She didn't follow me. I looked back with a confused look. "What the hell? Come on Masha!"

"I can't!" She yelled at me.

"Why? I don't understand!"

"You made the wrong choice motherfucker!" Said a gruff voice from behind me. I turned my head and was met with a stab to my neck. The bastard came from under the table and injected me with a goddamn needle.

"W...what the hell did you do to me?!" I asked.

"Shh...You don't have to worry any more…" John said.

"F...fuck…" I dropped down to the ground and slipped out of consciousness.

(R'S POV)

Damn...These guys were tough. Raven and I were getting smacked around senselessly. I stared up at my fellow comrades for a moment before wiping the blood from my busted lips. Midnight, Blake, Sonna and Raven. They were all hurt pretty badly. I don't know how but these guys got a lot better since the last time.

"Tell me something you sacks of shit! Who the hell do you work for?!" Midnight snarled.

"Who do we work for? That's pretty funny, kid. We don't work for anyone. Ever heard of freelance?" The woman spoke.

"We carry out jobs for whoever's willing to pay up the most and it just so happens that the guy who paid us wants the AoF outta the picture." Half mask chuckled.

"You're just petty guns for hire! You're nothing compared to the AoF!" Blake shouted back.

"Petty? Guns for hire? Don't make me laugh. You're a bunch of snot nosed, horny teenagers! You shouldn't even be allowed to fight let alone fight on the wrong side." The leader said.

"What do you mean, wrong side?" Sonna asked.

"Exactly what he said. The AoF is nothing but a bullishit scam! You're all fighting for a goddamn tyrant! At least we know what we're getting into with our organization. That piece of shit Director of yours is playing the shit outta you kids!" Half mask barked.

"YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP!!!" Blake yelled.

"Did I touch a nerve?"

"The Director has done so much for me! I won't let you talk down about him in such a disrespectful way!" Blake snarled.

"You brainwashed dumbass. He's using you!" The woman said with an amused grin.

"NO! He's an honest and brilliant man! He wants to protect the innocent!" Blake shouted.

"Is that the nonsense that he feeds to you naive little brats? That is hilarious!"

"...Mock my mentor...You bastards! ALL OF YOU!!!" Blake shouted as he ran forward and launched two grappling hooks and pulled himself toward the rival assassins. He delivered a harsh kick to the abdomen of the half mask guy. Blake then spun around and landed a well placed kick to the woman's temple. He dodged a bullet and sent a swift punch to the leader. The tailed man attempted to lunge at him, but I ran up to Black and blocked the bladed tail with my gauntlets and punched the freak away.

Raven and Sonna teamed up against the woman of their group and Midnight fought with Devon. Blake was going toe to toe with half mask which left me with the tailed guy.

"Remember Jackal, We have permission to kill these guys!" Half mask shouted before Blake punched him in the eye.

Jackal readied himself and charged at me. I glared a charged back at him.

He spun and whipped his tail at me. I lifted a gauntlet cladded fist up and blocked the attack. I lunged forward and buried my fist deep into his gut and sent him back a few feet. He tossed a few needles at me and a few struck my arms. I glared at him as he casually walked towards me. This was only gonna get uglier.

I slammed my gauntlet cladded fist into the floor and sent a shockwave toward Jackal. He flipped up into the air and tossed another handful of sharp, blade like needles. I shielded myself with my cloak before jumping up and kicking him back with the force of a speeding truck. He slammed into a Footlocker. I charged forward a smash his face into a shoe rack before tossing him into the counter. The people inside of the mall had long since ran off in terror so I could really let loose in here. He threw a punch at me. I slipped it and sent him an uppercut. I then tackled him into a wall and punched his face in repeatedly before he sliced my chest and hit me with a palm strike.

I skidded back a few feet and winced at the pain. "You're pretty dangerous…"

"..." He said nothing to me. He started running up the walls and then jumped forward to kick my face in. I flew back and broke through the glass. He dived out and attempted to stab me with a drill like arm. I rolled out of the way and glared. Jackal stood there and stared at me. His mask hiding his expressions.

"So you just gonna stand there looking ugly?" I taunted.

"Outta the way R!" Raven suddenly yelled before drop kicking Jackal into the already broken fountain.

"What the hell?!"

"That bastard owes me a second round!" She hissed.

(SHADOW'S POV)

"CHASE!" The blonde dropped to the floor after he was stabbed by John with the needle.

"Well, I guess he won't be joining us for the finale." John said to me.

"What the fuck did you do to him?" I asked.

"Don't worry Shawn. He's not dead...Not yet at least. He's just sleeping. As for you, I'm thoroughly disappointed in you." He sighed.

"What did I do?!" I growled.

"Took out my two best men. My good friends...You need to learn Shawn…" He grinned before pulling out a gun and pointing it at me.

I raised my hand and glared at him. "Fuck…" I hissed.

"This didn't have to go this way Shawn...It really didn't…" He chuckled.

"John...Please...You don't have to shoot me man!"

"Yes...I really do."

~BANG~

Reacting with the quickest reflexes that I could muster, I kicked the steel table up, blocking the bullet. I grabbed the knocked out Chase and dragged him out of the room. I sprinted down the hallway and made my way to the janitorial closet in hopes of hiding. I stared at Chase's fallen body.

"Damn...What the hell?!"

"Nice little move there Shawn. You actually stopped the bullet." John's muffled voice said as he clapped his hands slowly. "Tell me something Shawn…" His voice got closer and I could hear my heartbeats.

"C'mon Chase...Wake up…" I said through grit teeth.

"What's the deal with your lack of an...Arsenal? I've noticed that you've been roaming around without one for the past few encounters we've had. At this point...I'm curious!" He yelled as he kicked the closet door open. He pointed his gun at me and grinned. "Care to explain?"

"Fuck you! I don't have to tell you jack shit!" I growled at him.

The man chuckled and pulled the trigger. I rolled out of the way and kicked his knee in. He dropped to the floor and glared. "Son of a bitch!" He fired off another shot at me. The bullet pierced my left forearm. I didn't feel it though. Adrenaline pumped through my veins and I punt kicked him to the floor. He tried to aim the gun back at me but I smacked it out of his hand. I drove my knuckles across his face three times before he headbutted me off of him. His left cheek was bruised and his nose was swollen. "Very good Shawn…" He ran out of the closet and sprinted towards an elevator. I looked back at Chase and sighed. I closed the closet door with him still inside of it. He'd be much safer there than where I was going.

I ran up the many flights of stairs and saw John walking casually towards a golden helicopter with a briefcase in his hand. He looked back at me with a grin.

"You're not leaving without paying me!" I yelled.

He took his red, pinstripe jacket off and put on a set of brass knuckles. "Gregory, start the helicopter." He walked up to me. The sun was setting in the background and the cold winter wind blew through by dark hair. We were on the top of the tallest building in New York. This was about to get ugly.

"You're making grave mistakes Mr. Price. This is a highly unfortunate turn of events. Highly unfortunate indeed…" He said to me.

"Either you pay me, or I'll kill your ass myself!"

"Big words from a scared little boy." John chuckled.

"Who's scare?!"

"You are, my boy. You're scared that your sweet little sister is gonna leave you. You're scared of being irrelevant. You're scared that no matter what you do, you'll always be the little sideshow. You'll be cast aside. You don't want to die and have no one feel sorry for you. No mama, no dada, no nothing! It's such a shame." The man said.

"..." I didn't reply. I got up and raised my fists.

"Before we start...how about I get the blood flowing." He pulled out a small remote looking device and pressed the red button.

"What was that?!" I asked.

"Fifteen minutes Shawn...Fifteen minutes. Tick tock!"

(CHASE'S POV)

One chair…

One man…

Darkness all around me…

I looked forward and glared at the bastard ahead of me. He sat in the chair with the faint ray of light shining over him. I knew right away who this man was.

"Chase…" He said.

"What do you want?" I asked him.

"You remember me?"

"Yes.

"Good...Now talk to me...When did it all go to shit? How did you go down this path?" He asked me.

"I guess...it started when my mom and dad died…"

"Wrong! Next question...What day is it today?" He asked me.

"It's February 23rd…" I said.

"Do you know the significance of that day?"

"Yeah...It's the day I found out that my brother was still alive...Even though I kept assuming he was dead...He would've came back...He would've found me!"

Wrong! Next question...Who do you love?" The man asked.

"That's easy...I love Masha!"

The man in the chair chuckled at me. "Wrong...I don't know what clouds your judgment more...Your guilt or your own self pity. It's pathetic!"

"Fuck you! You don't know shit!" I growled.

"Oh believe me Chase...I know EVERYTHING there is to know about you. I mean...I am you...or at least I was…" He snickered. He quickly flew off of the wooden seat and tossed me into it. "You're full of shit Chase…So full of shit…" The bastard put a mask on and faded out of existence.

"..." I sat there. It was quiet and I was all alone in the darkness. I then felt the temperature dropped drastically. Chilling frost began to cover the floor underneath me. The dark was soon replaced by a snowstorm. In the distance I could see Masha walking away from me. I shot out of the chair and ran towards her. "MASHA! WAIT!!!"

"..." No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't catch up to her.

I was engulfed in the harsh weather and I fell into the snow. I sank deeper and deeper until a soothing voice entered my ears. Two soft hands wrapped around my torso. The voice whispered in my ear in a way that felt all too familiar to me.

"Your heart...It's beating Chase...You won't die…" She said.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

The arms started pulling me further into the snow until I was completely submerged. The snow soon turning into water. I looked around for the woman voice but couldn't find anything. I noticed the water turn a deep red color and started to panic.

"Shh...You're fine...It's ok Chase…I promise…" Another calm voice said to me.

The bloody water had drained away and left me soaking wet. "What the hell is this?!" I asked. I now stood atop a sea of clouds. I looked around with confusion until I saw a beautiful woman with blonde hair. My heart started racing and I didn't know why. She looked at me with her ruby red eyes and smiled. She floated over to me.

"So many faults...Am I the one to blame?" She asked.

"Yeah...This is your fault!" I hissed.

She giggle and pecked my cheek. "Naive little boy...Only you can cause that kind of pain…"

"No...IT'S YOUR FAULT!!!" I tackled her to the ground and pinned her. She smiled and made no move to get free.

"You're always so quick to blame others for the things that you could've controlled."

"You toyed with me...You played me…" I hissed.

"I did only what many others would do. That never meant that you were a past memory. Your rashness is what puts you in these situations. You have to let it go." She whispered in my ear.

"...I can't…"

"Why not?" She asked.

"It's...It's because…" I was unable to say the words.

"I already know…" She vanished and what took her place was a scene that would haunt me forever.

"...Why Chase? Why did you let me die?" Karren asked with the bullet hole still in her forehead.

"I never wanted you to die!" I yelled.

"After everything that we've been through together. We were even a thing a few years ago...So why did you let me die?"

"Karren...Please just stop…" I grumbled.

"I know you Chase...Your mind...It's so fucked! You're so fucked! We're all just so completely FUCKED!" She then widened her arms. "Do it Chase…"

My arm rose and in my hand was a glowing, white revolver. "What...No. I can't!"

"Pull the trigger Chase...PULL THE TRIGGER!!!" She yelled.

~BANG~

"This is your punishment Chase...This is your retribution...This is your own fault...you could've avoided all of this by just being a good little boy…" Daybreak appeared in front of me and attempted to slice me with a black katana. When he made contact, is was surrounded by heavy smoke. When the smoke cleared, a glowing walkway lit up my path and allowed me to walk forward. All around me were memories. Laughing with Milton and Karren, playing catch with my dad and my big brother, eating chocolate with mom, meeting Masha, sleeping with Sonna, getting this damned Arsenal.

I continued walking until there was nowhere else to go...

(MIDNIGHT'S POV)

I sliced the half mask guy in two with my axe. I turned around and materialized my FN FAL. I shot a stream of heavy bullets at Chase's brother. He lifted up his dual machetes and blocked the bullets. He then turned and stabbed Blake in his abdomen and chucked his other blade at me. I rolled to the side and hit him with a flying knee to his chin.

"Hey now...That's not bad…" He chuckled. He pulled out a beretta and shot at me. The bullet grazed my shoulder and left a nasty wound. "You were with my brother when I killed that girl. How did that make him feel? Was he angry?"

"BASTARD!" I ran at him and swung wildly. He thrusted his palm upwards and snapped my arm. I winced when I saw it bent the wrong way. He kicked me away, causing me to land in front of Blake.

"You kids these days...You know, when we kidnapped Chase, I was so excited. My kid brother would be on my side. All that brainwashing...All that progress...Gone in just a singular confrontation...Oh well! The seeds have already been planted in his mind. He can't unsee what he had experienced."

"What the hell are you going on about now?" I glared.

"The truth. The secrets about who he is and what he's done. The reason our parents died. The truth about Michael and above all else...The truth about the AoF. He knows...He just a little confused at the moment. As a matter of fact, I should go pay him a visit."

"Stay away from him!" I shouted.

"No can do." He kicked me into an ATM. I coughed as my back slammed into the machine.

(SHADOW'S POV)

~WHACK~

I dropped down to the rooftop top floor with a bruised and bloodied face. John straightened his necktie and wiped the blood off of his brass knuckles.

"Tsk tsk tsk...Very disappointed in you Shawn." He placed his brass knuckles back into his pockets and started walking back to his helicopter. He slid open the passenger seat doors and sat on the luxury seats next to the woman and a sleeping kid. He picked up a glass of champagne and began sipping the drink. The pilot started the helicopter and John started chuckling. "You've lost you touch kid…"

"Mother...fucker…" I muttered.

The helicopter started lifting off and John gave me one last smug look before he shut his door.

I got up and started limping. I decided to ignore the pain and started sprinting. I ran and I ran in order to build up speed. I leapt off of the building and grabbed the under railings of the helicopter. Using my upper body strength, I pulled myself up to the pilot's door. I punched through the glass and opened the door.

"What the hell?!" The pilot made an attempt to shoot me with a pistol but I smacked his hand away and stabbed him. He twitched around until his body went limp. I grabbed him by the shirt and tossed him out of the helicopter. I started breaking the controls. The rotors stalled and the helicopters started descending.

"You son of a bitch!" John yelled as he started strangling me with his tie. I struggled to free myself from his grip. I desperately reached for the pilot's discarded pistol to no avail. I punched John's face a few times but he wouldn't let me go. "You're a real pain in the ass kid!"

The helicopter slammed into the side of the J.I.N. Corp. building. The helicopter started breaking apart. Heaps of metal flew around, shattering windows and smashing the concrete walls. As the helicopter smashed down, it began to catch fire. Pieces of the helicopter laid on top of me. I couldn't see John. He was likely dead underneath the rubble. I started to free myself when something came to my mind. The detonator in John's hands.

The building began to shake and the ceiling started to cave in as explosions went off all around me. That's when another thought came to my mind. Chase was still in the closet.

(CHASE'S POV)

"Look up there...Way up in the fucking sky, you...your parents…"

"...They look so happy…" I said.

"They are." Daybreak walked over towards me with a slight chuckle. "Do you know why they get to be so happy?"

"Yeah…"

"They did a lot of really bad things…They hurt a lot of people. They were all, very bad people." Daybreak patted my shoulder.

"I know…" I mumbled

"Then you know why they died…"

"Yeah…"

The other me started laughing. "You're broken Chase. You're unstable. You can't be fixed. You'll never be happy again." He said to me.

"I know…"

"...Take a look all around you." He said before five women appeared in front of me. Zoey, Masha, Sonna, Beth and Karren...They were all standing in front of me with blank looks on their faces.

"Why are they all here?!" I asked.

"These are the women that you've tried and failed to establish intimacy with. You're inability to maintain a relationship is a just another sign of your mental stability crumbling." Daybreak said to me.

Zoey walked up to me with a sadistic smile. "You abandoned me Chase. You forgot about me…Why?!" She said before fading away.

Beth walked over to me and scoffed. "Maybe if you weren't so caught up in your own bullshit sob stories, we could've been a thing you know…" Beth said before fading away.

Karren stepped forward and looked at me with a sad smile. "What can I really say? We were young and stupid. I just wish we could give it another shot but…" She faded away before finishing.

Sonna walked over to me with tears in her red eyes. "Chase...I already know...You and I both know...If you just kept trying, if you didn't leave...I would've gone back. I swear I would've. Instead, you ran away from the whole thing...You still love me...and I still love you…" She faded after kissing my cheek.

Finally was Masha who seemed to be in pain. She limped over to me. Ice forming with every step. "Chase...You have to... wake up...You won't die...I won't let you." She placed two hands onto my chest and frost covered my body. "Wake up!"

My eyes snapped open and I could feel the ground trembling. Debris was falling and a fire was spreading. I looked up to see Masha on top of me. Her hands were on my chest and she covered my wounds with ice.

"Masha?!" I called out to her. She was bleeding all over and she had a few burn marks on her skin.

"No...It's ok...I'm fine…" She panted as blood dripped from the hole in her upper thigh.

"Stop...Heal yourself...Not me!" I said to her.

She moved her hands to my face and smiled. "I can't...Not anymore…"

"Why?" I asked.

Her tears fell onto my face and her smile widened. "I love you more than anything else Chase…I truly do…" She giggled as she pressed her forehead against mine.

"Chase...With what little time I have left...I need to tell you something." She said.

"Don't say that…" I growled. I stood and lifted her up. "I'll get you outta here. I swear it!"

"What...about Kevin?" She asked.

"I lost him...but I refuse to lose you too."

(SHADOW'S POV)

"NGH!" I grunted as I pushed more metal off of my leg. I started to walk off but the fire continued to spread. I saw the woman that was inside the helicopter burning to a crisp. That's when I saw something that made my heart drop.

*Cough Cough*

"Hey! Hey kid!" I yelled at the small boy. I tried to walk over to him but my knees buckled with every step, causing me to collapse. The boy continued coughing until he eventually dropped to his knees. "Walk over to me kid!" I yelled while crawling over to the boy. That's when a foot stomped down on my left hand. I looked up and saw John glaring at me. His expensive suit was burnt and shredded.

"I am going to kill you Shawn." He snarled. He pointed the pistol at me. "Goodbye...Mr. Price...That's when a brick smacked the back of his head, making him drop the gun. We both looked back and saw Kevin glaring.

"You're a bad dad! You tried to kidnap me! You stabbed me with a needle! All after you left me alone! You weren't even there when mom died! You weren't even there when my SISTER DIED!!!" The little boy growled.

"You little bastard!" John ran up and smacked his son to the floor. "I'll deal with you later, boy."

I grabbed the dropped gun and aimed it at John, shakily. "Fucking asshole…"

~BANG~

I hit John in his shoulder. He winced and limped over to me. I tried to shoot again but the gun was empty. "For all of your bullshit, I might just visit little Raven...Right after I kill you!"

"YOU WON'T TOUCH HER HER!!!" I jumped up with every ounce of strength that was left in my body and tackled him to the broken floor. I punched him deeply across his face one time. Then I gave him two more. Then three more. Then five more punches followed up with six more brutal punches, then seven more ruthless punches.

His face was barely recognizable as I continued hitting him. I grabbed his neck with my bloody hands and slammed the back of his head into the floor. The concrete chipped away with each slam. Soon chunks dropped down.

"I swear...I'll...I'll kill you…" He muttered.

"Fuck off John! You can go to Hell." I said to him.

I lifted his head a slammed it full force into the ground, completely breaking the floor and dropping us down about six floors. When I made impact with the floor, I could feel my bones rattle and both of my lungs give out for a brief moment. John laid on the ground next to me, bloody and broken. His arm twitched slightly.

"...That all...you got kid?" He asked before one of the large helicopter blades dropped down and impaled him straight in the chest. His body instantly went limp. I sighed with relief.

"HEY MISTER! ARE YOU OKAY?!?!" I heard Kevin yell down from the top floor.

I lifted my arm and gave him a thumbs up. "Yeah…"

(CHASE'S POV)

"Chase…" Masha said to me. I ignored her and kept carrying her to the exit. After hearing a loud bang, I decided to pick up the pace. "...CHASE!" She yelled at me.

"What is it?! We're almost there!" I said to her.

"Put me down…" She said as she rubbed my cheek. Her hand felt so lifeless and she was extremely pale.

"No...We can make it!" I said to her.

"...Just put me down…" She said softly.

I did as I was told. The exit was down the hall. I didn't understand. "We can make it. Just hang in there." I said as I squeezed her hand.

"Chase...I have to tell you something very important…" She said with watery eyes.

"Why now? Why can't it wait until I get you to safety?" I asked.

"It's too late Chase...I can't hold out for much longer…"

"Don't...Please don't…" I tried to stay strong but I just couldn't. "I don't wanna lose you too…"

"You have to leave...but first...I wanna get something off of my chest." She said.

"What? Just...just say it already…"

"Chase...I'm...I'm pregnant…" She choked out.

My eyes snapped open and I almost didn't catch what she said to me. "You're what..?"

"I wanted it to be a happy surprise, so smile." She said to me.

"...Why now? Why did you tell me this now?! YOU CAN'T JUST TELL ME THIS WHEN YOU'RE ON THE VERGE OF DYING MASHA!!!" I yelled at her.

"I know...I wanted to tell you, but then...this all happened. I'm so sorry Chase." She sobbed.

"There's still time...I can still-"

"Shh...No you can't...I'm out of time…"

"Masha please! DON'T LEAVE ME! I CAN'T LOSE YOU!!!" I didn't care anymore. I cried into her chest and begged God not to take her from this world.

"I love you Chase. We both do…" She rubbed her stomach and kissed me forehead. "Take care of yourself Chase…" She dropped in my arms and died, just like that. God never did listen to me...


	71. All in your Arsenal

(SHADOW' POV)

"Dammit kid…Just leave me!" I coughed.

"No way! I'm not leaving you here!" Kevin grumbled as he continued tugging me towards the exit of the burning building.

"I'll be right behind you! Just go!" I yelled.

"NO! Now shut the fuck up and let me help you!" Kevin yelled.

"..." Yeah, Chase needs to watch his mouth around this kid.

"We're almost there!" Kevin grunted. He pushed the doors open and dragged me outside and much to my horror, the city of New York looked like Hell.

"What happened?!" I asked.

"Oh no…" Kevin muttered. "We gotta get outta here."

"Why? What's wrong?"

"They're here. Those monsters. They made it up here!" Kevin shouted.

"Monsters?!"

~BAM~

"What was that?" Kevin asked me.

"I don't know, but I got a real bad feeling." I sighed.

(CHASE'S POV)

~BANG~

"KEEP ON COMING YOU ROTTEN MOTHERFUCKERS!!!"

~BANG~

"YOU THINK I'M AFRAID OF YOU?!"

~BANG~

I took out my katana and started slicing the bastards apart. One by one they fell at my feet. The seemingly endless amounts of them continued coming, regardless of my constant slicing. I didn't care though. I needed this. I truly did!

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!" I shouted as I cut up a few more.

"Mr. Chase!" I heard Kevin's voice suddenly shout.

"What's going on?! What are these freaky ass things?!" Shadow asked.

"Mutated humans , courtesy of Jonathan Tuckerson. The bastards failed experiments managed to travel up north and they're fucking everything up." I wasn't kidding. New York was in a state of fucking chaos. Buildings were burning, cars were being thrown and hundreds of people were being devoured.

"Jesus Christ!" Shadow pulled me and Kevin back as a car with no driver, zipped down the street and crashed into an expensive looking shoe store. "We need to get the hell outta here."

"How are we gonna do that?!" Kevin asked.

I brought out my Arsenal and attempted to warp us back to HQ. It not only didn't work, but I was also back to normal.

"What the fuck?!" I growled.

"What what happened Mr. Chase?"

"It's...not working…"

"Then what the hell are we gonna do now?!" Shadow yelled.

"I don't know…"

(??? POV)

-AoF HQ-

"...It's been too long old friend." The brown haired man said with a puff of his cigar.

"That it has…" I muttered.

"...I'm going to assume that you're going to shoot me with that 9mm. Handgun in your back pocket." He chuckled.

I sighed. "Well, I figured we could grab a beer before offing your ass but I guess not…" I aimed my gun at the mans head.

"What would Charles think of you now?"

"He'd still be here if it weren't for you. You got him killed and it's because of that very reason that I'm here to take you out." I proceeded to take the safety off.

The man smirked. "Heh...You sure you're not just afraid that Chase will end up like Devon? The other family member that you lost."

"BASTARD! Even now, you still choose to taunt me! Can't you see that this is it?! This is the end of your little operation! My brother's dream is dead! You stole his ideas and robbed him of his work! I'm here to take it back!"

He scratched his chin as he looked at me. "I see...Well then, you should already know that I still have an endgame."

"The hell are you talking about?"

He pulled out a small device. "Do you know what this is?"

"It's...a killswitch…"

"Correct! Now, do you know what I'm going to do with said switch?"

My eyes widened. "You can't! You'll tear apart the entire city! There are still thousands of people there!"

"Oh wake the hell up Michael! New York has been taken over by John's latest fuck up. This is the only way."

"I'm not kidding Malachi! Don't do it! My nephews are still down there!" They'll die! ALL OF THEM!!!"

"They won't last much longer anyway. The AoF is no more. I've shut down all Arsenals and blocked access to the HQ." He stood up from his chair and smothered his cigar.

"Why would you shut it down?!" I asked.

"We've been bought out. I no longer own the Arsenal let alone the AoF."

"What? How?! Who the hell would have the money and the resources to run the AoF?" I asked.

"That would be me!" A gruff voice said from behind me. I turned around and saw a man in a military uniform with a glock in his hands. "Hello again Michael."

"General?! Why are you taking control of the AoF?" I asked.

~Click~

"Do you remember the White House raid a little while back? The one that almost got the president killed?!"

"I'm familiar…" I muttered.

"BOTH of your nephews lead that assault and BOTH had an Arsenal. The president took note of this and has issued the termination of all freelance assassins. From this point on, the AoF are to be supervised by the U.S. Army. The Arsenals will no longer be issued to adolescents that are unauthorized, untrained and are not a part of any U.S. military bracket. These are the orders of the president and given the fact that I am the general of the United States, I am in charge of AoF."

"What are you gonna do with the Arsenals that are already out?"

Malachi chuckled. "They've been deactivated. They're just plain old boxes at this point. They won't do anything now. All new models were created for the sake of repurposing the Arsenal."

"What about your current operatives?! What are you gonna do with them?"

"That's being taken care of as we speak." Malachi said darkly.

"What does that mean?"

"It means that you can calm down and leave the rest to me and the U.S."

~BANG~

The general pulled the trigger of his gun and let the bullet pass through my back. I dropped down, unable to feel my legs. I looked up and saw both men staring at me.

"Sorry Michael…" The general said to me with an emotionless look.

"Why the hell...are you doing this?" I questioned.

"I'm a general Michael. I have my own orders to follow." He said before snapping his fingers. Two soldiers ran into the room and grabbed me. "Take him into custody. I'll deal with him later."

"Dammit! You can't do this!" I shouted.

"I already have, Michael…" Malachi spoke.

(R'S POV)

This was bad. This was VERY bad. We lost out gear and they didn't. We were in trouble! Raven was getting smacked around by Jackal, Sonna and Midnight were knocked out and Blake stood in front of me with a defensive stance.

"Looks like everything is going according to plan. You're Arsenals have been shut down. That'll make our job much easier." Devon smirked.

"I...will NEVER stand down! I won't just let you do as you please!" Blake snarled.

"Is that a fact?" Devon jumped forward and shoved his machete into Blake's chest.

"GAH!" Blake gasped as the blade was forcefully yanked from his chest. Blake dropped down in front of me, holding the wet hole in his torso.

"BLAKE!" I yelled with alarm.

"Tsk tsk tsk…" Devon picked me up by my shirt collar and slammed me to the ground. He jumped up and slammed his heels into my left knee, completing tearing my ACL. He gripped me up again and plunged the tip of his machete into my right eye. I screamed and squirmed around as my eye was sliced right outta my head. He threw me over to the wounded Raven and grinned. "Hmm...Looks like it's about that time to head out and watch the fireworks." The three of them hit a button on there false Arsenal and warped to an unknown location.

Meanwhile, I was desperately trying to keep the blood from rushing out of my eye socket. It hurt like hell and left me feeling uneasy. I was on the verge of passing out, which wasn't a very good thing to do at the moment. Everyone was hurt. The only other person still conscious was Raven and she was all cut up.

"R...Raven!" I called to her.

"...Yes...R?" She responded.

I crawled over to her with one arm while the other held the opened hole in my face. "I'm...coming Raven...Just hold on…" I said to her.

"R…" She muttered.

When I made it over to her, I checked her injuries and noticed that she was bleeding from seventeen deep slice wounds. She looked bad and that was highly concerning for me.

"Can you move?"

"Yeah...a little bit…" She pushed herself up to a seated position. When she looked at me, her eyes widened. "What happened to your eye?"

"Oh this?" I lowered my hand and showed her the bleeding hole that used to be my right eye. "It's not all that big a deal. I need to focus on helping you and the others.

"R! Look at your leg!" She yelled at me.

I looked at me inwardly bent leg. I hadn't even notice that. "Shit...That doesn't matter! We all have to get out of here!"

"How? You can't walk, and the others are all knocked out!" She yelled.

~BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM~

The ground began to tremble as an explosion went off in the distance. Raven lifted herself up along with me and carried me to a nearby window.

"What the hell happened to New York?!" I asked as I stared outside of the mall.

Hundreds of strange, mutant people were walking the streets. Buildings were falling apart and had caught fire. Cars where flipped over and some were even destroyed. It was chaos out there.

"What are we gonna do now?!" Raven asked.

"I...I don't know…"

~BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM~

Another explosion went off. This one was closer to our location than the other. Building rubble spilled out onto the street.

"...God why?!" I asked.

"What the hell is that?!" Raven asked.

"Is that...a minivan?!" I asked with confusion.

The red minivan sped down the street, running over multiples of the mutants in the process. The vehicle swerved aggressively and rammed into the side of the mall, crashing through a store window.

"Who the hell is that?!" Raven shouted as she got into a shaky defensive stance.

The driver side door opened and the man who stepped out of it was none other than Shadow. He looked at me and Raven with a worried looked.

"RAVEN!" He ran up and hugged her. "I swear to god ig you run away from home again, I'm gonna break your legs."

"OW! Shawn, will you fuck off!" She hissed.

"Right, sorry about that." He then looked directly at me. "WHAT DID YOU DO YOU LITTLE ASSHOLE?!"

"What?! I didn't...I mean I might...I mean...uh...NOTHING!" I stuttered.

"What?! I do NOT trust you…" Shadow snarled.

"..." I looked to the side and saw Chase step out of the minivan. His face...It was filled with so many different emotions. He seemed angry, yet completely depressed at the same time. His eyes were filled with emptiness and his fists were clenched so hard that his palms were bleeding.

I wasn't sure of what happened but he seemed focused on getting the others.

(CHASE'S POV)

"...Goddamn…" Staring down at Blake was hard to do. He was mortally injured and was currently unresponsive. I wrapped a large piece of cloth around his wound and carried him to the van.

I walked over to Milton and lightly slapped him in hopes of waking him up. His eyes snapped open and he stared at me. "...Chase?"

"It's time to go." I told him. I picked him up and walked him to the minivan.

"Chase...Devon was here...He was-"

"I know...I saw him on the way here." I told him.

"...Oh. Look Chase...I'm sorry that he's not the way you remember him. I'm sure that one day, you'll-"

"Forget about it...He's different now...I'm different too." I said, cutting him off. I put him in and buckled him up.

I walked off to the injured Sonna and kneeled down towards her. It hurt to see everyone injured like this. The situation was just so...fucked.

I scooped her up and carried her back to the vehicle. She was still knocked out so I guess that was a plus. I wasn't sure if I could even really say anything to her. I wasn't sure how to feel about her anymore. Yeah, Zeyco was out of the picture for now and I'm still somewhat attracted to her...but Masha...What she said to me...I wish she wouldn't have said that. I felt like shit now.

I looked over at Shadow, Raven, and R. They were all walking back to the minivan. Once they got in, Shadow backed out, hitting more mutants.

~BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM~

"Another fucking explosion?! What is happening with this city?" Shadow growled as he swerved through the streets.

"We need to get out of the city as soon as possible! The place is going to get wiped of the map!" R yelled.

"Yeah! No shit R!"

I looked at his closed, bleeding eye with confusion. He noticed me staring and sighed. "Yeah...Devon kinda took it out…"

"Tch…" I grit my teeth with anger.

"Mr. Chase...I have to pee." Kevin said as he held himself.

"Just hold it…"

"But I really have to go!" The kid whined.

"We are NOT stopping this goddamn van!" Shadow yelled.

"Please!"

"NO!" I yelled.

"Man...If I pee on the seats then it's on you guys…" He grumbled.

~BOOOOOOOOOOM~

"Another goddamn explosion! For fucks sake!" Raven screamed.

"Turn onto the highway!" R yelled.

"Alright alright!" Shadow barked. He stepped on the gas and took off down the street.

"...Ngh...What happened?" Sonna asked from right next to me.

"We're on our way out of the city. Someone triggered explosives underground. That plus the mutants roaming around is a sign for us to leave." I said.

"Oh…" She muttered.

"..." I stayed silent. The van was automatically filled with awkwardness and I wasn't a fan of it.

"Chase…" She spoke. I glanced at her without any emotion. "...I'm-"

"If you say that you're sorry one more time, I'll throw you out of the car and leave you to get blown up with the rest of these fucking freaks." I growled.

"...I was going to say that I was glad that you were okay…" She muttered.

"...I'm far from okay."

"...I feel awkward." Kevin said out loud.

"Shut up kid."

"Yes Mr. Chase…"

We continued driving along the highway at illegal speeds until we made it to the Brooklyn bridge, which would only turn things from bad to worse.

On the bridge was a group of armed militants, with their weapons ready.

"HALT!" Yelled soldier up front.

"What the hell?! We need to get out of the city!" Shadow yelled.

"All citizens of New York must get in line to be transported on the emergency exit ferries."

"Is this where all the resistance are?" Milton asked.

"All the ones that survived…" The man said.

"Oh god…" Milton looked back at the crumbling city.

~BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM~

"SHIT!" Shadow yelled with agitation.

"...What about Nina?!" Milton muttered.

"They...they could be…" Sonna trailed off.

"NO! Beth ain't dead!" Shadow stormed out of his car looked around the group of remaining people in hopes finding his girlfriend. Milton followed with a panicked look on his face.

"Dammit Shawn! Wait up!" Raven yelled.

Sonna walked up to the man. "Most of us need medical attention. One of us is currently passed out and in critical condition."

I carried Blake over to the man and his hardened face seemed to soften. "I...I'll have our medical team take a look. He does look pretty bad."

"Thank you so much sir!" Sonna said to him and I handed Blake over.

I sighed and sat down on the bridge railing next to me. I looked directly at the destruction going on within the city. Then I thought about if Zoey was still alive. So far, I hadn't seen her and that made me nervous. Then again, she was pretty tough so I had faith in her.

Sonna had sat down right next to me along with R. Who had wrapped his wounded eye with an old rag that was in the minivan. They sat on opposite sides of me and seemed to be stuck in thought about stuff. I kept on wondering if Mickey even made it out. He was probably asleep at home or something.

"Well look at us…" R chuckled half heartedly.

"..?" I gave him an unknowing glance.

"I mean, this was how it all started. We were a team. I still remember our first mission!" R said happily.

"Yeah...Chase was such a wimp back then." Sonna jabbed my false arm.

"Tch...You both are still as annoying as ever." I growled.

"Hey! At least we're bros now! Right?" R asked me as he lifted his fist towards me.

I rolled my eyes and sighed. "Yeah...We still cool."

"...I know that I haven't really been there for you guys as much as I should've been, but that changes starting now! I promise to be more reliable to you both!" Sonna said to us.

"Only time will tell…" I muttered.

"You know, you're a lot more angry these days. What happened? You used to be so happy." R said.

"I was never happy, dipshit. I'm a piece of shit that can't even move away from this dark cloud that follows me. I've made a lot of friends...but I also lost them too. Now, I'm homeless, my uncle's missing, my girlfriend just died with my unborn kid and we're still on the verge of-"

~BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM~

"...Of exploding at any minute." I finished.

"Yeah...Well think about it like this...At least we still have each other. I just hope that my mom made it to safety. If she died...then…" R stopped, unable to continue.

Sonna hugged him tightly. "It's okay R. I'm sure she's fine. She probably already made it to the relocation site. We'll see her when we get there. I'm sure of it."

"Yeah...You're probably right. Thanks Sonna!"

"WHAT?! NO! YOU CAN'T JUST LEAVE US!" A woman shouted.

The three of us turned our attention to a small family begging a soldier to let them on board the ferry. The soldier seem adamant on not letting them aboard though.

"No! This is the last ferry available and it has already reached maximum capacity. You will have to wait until the next set arrives." The soldier said sternly.

The woman's husband glared. "When the hell will that be?!"

"In about twelve hours."

"Twelve hours...TWELVE HOURS?! We won't survive for a singular hour! Those monsters are coming and New York City is up in smoke! We need to leave now! We have kids with us!" The woman screamed.

"Unfortunately, so do many others. Now get back in line!" The man yelled.

"Damn...That's pretty harsh." R said.

"Harsh but necessary. It has to be in order to maintain order." I told him.

"Yeah...You're probably right…"

"WHERE IS HE?!" Yelled a girl that I didn't fully recognize. She ran up to me and grabbed me by the collar. "Where is Blake?!"

"Who the fuck are you?!" I asked with hostility.

"I'M MAY! HIS GIRLFRIEND!" She yelled at me.

"He had to get treated for his injuries. He got banged up pretty badly." He might not even be alive.

She ran through the nearby medical staff and looked down at her unconscious lover. He was still unresponsive which had everyone on edge.

"...Blake? BLAKE?!" May called out to him.

"Ma'am, please stand aside. The patient is in critical condition. Give him some space!" A nurse demanded.

"Is he gonna be okay?!"

The nurse looked troubled. "...I...I'm not entirely-"

"HIS HEARTBEAT STOPPED! WE NEED THE DEFIBRILLATORS STAT!" The lead medic yelled as he pressed on Blakes chest.

"Shock charge on standby!" A male nurse said.

"One...two...CLEAR!" The medic shocked Blakes chest but he was still unconscious. "One...two...CLEAR!" It wasn't working. "One...two...CLEAR!!!" It was hopeless.

"Patient has reached cardiac arrest...He's not...He's not going to make it…" The female nurse said sadly.

"NO! He has to! Please!!!" May sobbed. She dropped down and cried into his lifeless chest.

"Ma'am...We're sorry...We tried all that we could. He severed a coronary artery and suffered from internal bleeding. He lost way too much blood." The medic said to her.

R looked away and tried to fight the tear from falling out of his one good eye. "Dammit...Not Blake! He didn't do anything wrong!"

"Shit...He just...SHIT!" Sonna shouted with her own set of tears.

Blake was dead and I felt even more like shit. It sucked like hell. This wasn't some fairy tale. He wasn't gonna just magically wake up from this. He was dead. That was it. There wasn't any coming back from this. Blake was another fallen comrade. A friend that was selfless. This world was a piece of shit. It truly fucking was.

(MIDNIGHT'S POV)

"NINA?!" I yelled around. I couldn't find her. I was terrified of the thought that she might've died. It was fucking with my head.

"What the hell are you screaming for?" Shadow asked me.

"Fuck off Price!" I hissed.

"Listen you rich son of a bitch! I've been nice thus far simply by not punching the shit outta you for all the bullshit that you've pulled on me! Can you at least TRY to not be an asshole?"

I flipped him off and kept walking around in search of Nina. I didn't see her anywhere. It was driving me crazy.

"NINA!" I shouted again. I had no such luck though.

I decided to just give up and walk back to the others. I had to rule out the fact that she was more than likely dead. It was no use trying to hold on to this lost hope.

(RAVEN'S POV)

"Fucking douche…" Shawn grumbled.

"Oh calm down. It's not that serious. Let him be him." I said to my brother.

"Mr. Shadow, I'm hungry…" Kevin muttered.

"What?! I don't care! What do I look like? A convenient store?"

"But I'm really hungry…" The kid whined.

"UGH! Can't you just go bother Chase?" Shawn grumbled.

"...Okay!" The kid chirped happily.

"Wow...You're gonna make a great dad…" I muttered sarcastically.

"Shut up!" He stuck his tongue out at me. He then looked around and rubbed his neck. "Look...Don't go running of like that again. I was...really worried about you sis. I mean it."

"I know and I won't." I hugged him and smile into his shirt.

"So what happened while you were away?" He asked me.

My face went red as the memories of me R and Stacy played into my head. "Oh um...You know...Dumb stuff…"

"Why the hell are you blushing?!" He asked with a raised brow.

"Oh...no reasons...I'm gonna go over there now!" I said while pointing to the others.

I walked towards the trio of Sonna, R, and Chase. All three of them looked deeply depressed. I sighed and draped my arms around R.

"Are you ok?" I asked him.

"I...I'm...fine…" He stuttered.

I kissed his neck lightly and hugged him tighter. "R…"

"Yeah?" He replied.

"You know that I love you right?" I whispered in his ear.

He smiled a bit. "I love you too Rave."

(CHASE'S POV)

I stared at R and his girl and smiled. I was glad he at least had somebody. When R was upset, things never ended well. Not sure why, that's just how it was.

"They're cute together." Sonna said to me.

"Yeah...It's nice…" I grinned. My face then went stoic when I looked back at Sonna. She stared back at me with those goddamn ruby red eyes. She was so beautiful...but I was so unsure about it all. Could I really trust her again? Can I even move on past Masha?

"Chase…" She said as her soft hand touched my fake, metallic one.

"Y...yeah?" I muttered.

"Maybe we could-"

~BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM~

"...give it another try…"

We stared into each other's eyes for a few moments. Her smell was so riveting. I loved everything about it. I just...I still felt wrong about this. Me and her...we were...so much more than just acquaintances. I always felt something between us. Even when she chose Zeyco. Still...

"I can't…" I muttered.

"Oh...I see…" She gave a downcast look.

"...Not now. Maybe when we get the hell outta here, we can figure this stuff out." I told her.

"Right!" She smiled.

"Ahem!" A tall man that I recognized stepped forward with twenty soldiers surrounding him. "Hello team Arsenal."

"The general?! Why are you here?!" I asked.

"Simple...I'm here to offer an opportunity that you can't refuse. As you may or may not have notice, those Arsenals aren't exactly working right. That's because they've been shut down." He said.

"WHAT?!" We all looked at him with shock.

"That's right! The AoF is officially under U.S. supervision. Now that you all know, you'll be relocated to a new state in order to carry out your lives as normal, everyday young adults. Some of you will do so after spending five months in custody."

"What?! Five months? For what?" R asked.

"With what the president has decided, all Arsenal users need some kind of reform for the multitude of crimes that they've committed. That vigilante work ain't gonna fly anymore. If you are to use an Arsenal, then you must be enlisted in a military service. Otherwise, you're just another set of criminals." The general continued.

"That is such bullshit!" Shadow yelled.

"It's the law! Now...I need the following people to come with me. Shawn Price, Chase Hawthorne, Sonna Eclipse, and Blake Stryder."

"Blake's fucking dead!" I growled as I stepped forward.

"Hmm...I see...Well then, you three will be coming with me. You'll be spending five months locked up inside of our offshore facility." He said.

"No! You can't just take Mr.Chase and Mr. Shadow!" Kevin yelled.

"It's okay Kevin. It's only five months. You stay with the others and don't give them any trouble." I said to him.

"But what about you guys? I don't want you to get arrested."

"We'll be fine kid. Trust me!" Shadow grinned.

"We'll see you around...Here take this too." I handed him my old Arsenal. It didn't work anymore and I wouldn't need it so he might as well hold onto it.

"Whoa!" He smiled.

"...I'd give you mine but SOMEONE always takes it." Shadow grumbled.

"Oh shut the hell up Shawn!" Raven spat back.

"Thanks Mr. Chase! I'll be waiting for you guys!" Kevin said with a smile.

"Right!" I smirked. Shadow simply just nodded.

"Very touching…" He said before snapping his fingers and letting a group of armed men viciously restrain us. "Well, it's time to go!"

"This is some horse shit!" I barked.

"SHAWN!" Raven yelled.

"NO! You stay back! I see you soon! I promise!" Shadow yelled.

The general lit his cigarette. "C'mon! Load them on the APC! We've got no time to waste." He turned back to the others. "You kids have a nice day."

"Dammit!" I heard Milton yell before I was pushed inside of the large semi-aquatic vehicle.

(R'S POV)

"We just lost half of our crew!" I yelled with frustration.

"I know...This day just keeps going even further to hell." Midnight sighed.

"We don't have much choice now. We'll just have to let time do its thing. I mean, five months shouldn't be that long." She said to me.

"Yeah…"

~BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM~

Another large explosion went off in the distance. This caused me to huff again. I been through so must in the span of a few months. It was so...overwhelming to think about.

"Excuse me…" May had suddenly said to us. She had ceased her crying over Blake and stood in line with our group.

"Yeah?" I responded.

"You were all friends with Blake, right?" She asked us.

"Yes."

"Of course!"

"Meh..." Raven said with a shrug.

"Well, do you mind if I stay with you guys? I feel like you're the only people I can somehow connect with." She said.

"You don't even have to ask May. You're one of Nina's best friends so you're good with me." Midnight said.

"Right...Thank you!"

-1 Hour Later-

Our transportation had finally arrived and we were all able to hop on the large boat and make our way down to New Jersey. The ride was quiet given everyone's exhaustion due to the situation. Midnight was still tense, May was still depressed and many other families seemed broken up.

Raven and I held each other firmly and with desperation. She was all I really had left in this world to comfort me. My mom was gone, Chipper was gone and I had no clue if my sister, nieces and nephews were still alive. It scarred me to no end, but having Raven here in my arms helped me to ease some of my pain.

(CHASE'S POV)

-2 Hours Later-

"Get out!" One of the guards shoved me outside of the vehicle with his gun. I dropped to the dirt and glared. Shadow and Sonna helped me up to my feet.

"So this is prison? I always knew that I'd end up here eventually…" I grumbled as I looked around. We were on a yard that was surrounded by thick, steel walls.

"Same here…" Shadow muttered.

"This isn't just prison! This is a high level, national containment facility. The place where worldwide threats go." Sonna said with panic.

"Congratulations. You three are all here for a very specific reason." The general said to the three of us.

"...And that would be."

He had three soldiers hand us each a small, black, Arsenal box. "You're now a part of a specialized task force operating solely on high ranking missions."

"Why us three? What's so special about us?" Sonna asked.

"Sonna, you were personally requested to join this organized group along with Blake. Unfortunately, he's not with us right now. Shawn, your criminal record is quite astonishing and you could actually serve heavy time."

"Bullshit!"

The general smirked. "However...We'd be willing to wipe your slate clean if you work well with us."

"Tch...Not like I got much of a choice." Shadow huffed.

"Finally is you Chase. For starters, you're already familiar with these Arsenals, are you not?" He asked me.

"Yeah...I'm well aware of what these are."

"Good! Your experience with our Covert Operations team is what drew me to recruiting you."

I glared with suspicion. "The fuck are you talking about?"

"Hello again Chase." Said a haunting voice.

"You?! Fuck no! I refuse to work with them! Do you not know what they even do?! They're the fucking criminals!" I yelled.

"Yes, and criminals can be shaped into heroes if you play your cards right."

"But sir! They were going to kill the president!" Sonna yelled.

"I'm well aware of that." The general said.

Devon walked over to me with his everyday clothing on. He actually looked like my big brother now. That's when he smiled at me. "Welcome back little brother..."


End file.
